


Passed and Present Children

by wherenonagoes



Series: Orera Adaar [1]
Category: Dragon Age (Video Games), Dragon Age: Inquisition
Genre: Childbirth, Children, F/M, Kidnapping, Major Original Character(s), Original Character(s), Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-06-13
Updated: 2015-07-27
Packaged: 2018-04-04 04:23:57
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 38,932
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/4125384
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/wherenonagoes/pseuds/wherenonagoes
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Orera Adaar kept her past hidden, at least the parts that hurt the most. No one knew she had been a mother, and she liked to keep it that way. No one knew the meaning of the small little music box she kept on her nightstand, no one even commented on it. At least not until Corypheus was dead and their lives were out of immediate danger.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Chapter 1

Nothing in the world would let Orera sleep. She stared at the top of her tent, her thin blanket barely covering her toes, wondering why she was even trying to rest. There were too many things that were happening, and she was too excited to be home, to see her family, her little Deme. She shook with excitement, a smile curling onto her face. There was definitely no hope for her sleeping that night. Still, she stayed in the tent, trying to at least rest her eyes and feet, there was still a long day ahead of her.

Before the sun thought to rise in the eastern sky, Orera had finished packing her small amount of things. Her tent was folded and packed into her bag, along with her other pair of clothes she had worn for who knew how long. She set out, her hair freshly washed and braided from the nearby stream, her staff in front of her and a grin on her face. The small village wasn’t too far away, it would take maybe only an hour and a half to get there, two hours if she was delayed by anything. Either way, she would be there before Deme woke up, and Orera couldn’t think of a better surprise than breakfast in bed from mother.

The clouds ran slowly along the sky of the Free Marches, and she felt at home. She’d been born there, she’d lived the majority of her life there, and now she was returning, like all people do when they’ve finished great endeavors. Though her challenge hadn't been hard, just long-winded, she had not yet returned to her daughter, and she couldn’t wait. Orera had lost count of the days she had been away from her daughter, going into battle and not knowing if she was going to live usually did that. She’d lost count after a month and a half, and had been trying to keep track of the days since the battle that almost cost her her life. She’d failed in that respect.

But now she didn’t have to worry about that, the village was just over the next hill, she could practically smell the food from the bakery. Adjusting her bag over her shoulder, she crested the hill and smiled down on the town, glad to see something familiar. It was then she realized she had imagined the smell of the bakery.

The houses and buildings stood silent, nothing moving between them and exiting or entering the doors. Not even a stray cat ran from an alley to chase a rat. There was nothing moving at all that Orera could see. She tried to stop herself from running down the hill, but everything screamed at her, something was off and she didn’t know what.

The first building she came to was the mayor’s house. It had always been the mayor’s house and she hadn’t expected that to change while she was gone. The house stood two stories tall, and Orera was almost as tall as the door. She hesitated. Was there really anything wrong with a town being too silent? There couldn’t be anything wrong, there was nothing to point to it. Orera took a large breath and turned around. She was there to visit her daughter and spend time with her before she had to leave again.

Old seemingly rotten wood stood in multiple places in the forms of houses, keeping families safe and warm, though probably more of the latter. No new buildings seemed to have been built in her absence, which meant the population must not have changed much. Finding these things to be the same helped to put Orera at ease as she continued her walk down the dirt road. She turned onto the street her old friend lived on, and she stopped at the end of it, staring at the gaping black mass where a small cottage once stood.

Smoke no longer rose from the ashes, everything had already settled, but as Orera approached the rubble she felt her skin growing hot, as though the fires that had burned there licked at her skin. Orera hadn’t realized she’d fallen to her knees until she felt a wind blow some of the ash into her eyes. She rubbed it out, pressing her palms into her eyes and hoping that she was dreaming, that what she was seeing wasn’t real. It was, it was all too real.

The first thing to come to her mind then was to check everything, to search through the ash and the burned down corpse of the house to make sure her daughter wasn’t still there. Yes, she cared for her friend Serna, but she had been climbing the years and Orera knew she wouldn’t have been able to survive a house fire. Deme, she was good, she could have had her powers grow in, if she was a mage. No, Serna would have told her. Serna would have written to her or gotten word to her in some way so she would know that her daughter had magic. No, that couldn’t possibly be it. But that left only one conclusion.

Orera immediately took all of her bags and items off of her, throwing them to the ground on the street. She raised her hands, and closed her eyes. She needed to focus, she needed to not let her emotions control her while she searched through the ash. But how was she to do that? Tears were already streaming down her face, dripping from her chin onto the ground. There was no abandoning emotion now, and that meant no magic; she would need to go through all the destruction by hand.

Ash covered her everywhere, her skin held a thick layer with her sweat, making her appear to be a black mass hovering over the ruins of the fire. She didn’t stop because she grew hot in the sun as the day moved on, she continued to search. Orera lifted plank after plank from the ground, knowing that Serna had a small cellar she kept food in during the winter. Everything had collapsed in during the fire though, Orera couldn’t move enough of the wood to even get to the floor of the cellar lest she injure herself in the process. Nothing.

Orera rose from the ashes, sweat and tears dripping off her face like rain in a storm, leaving streaks of gray skin clean. She cried; she cried until her face ached and her lungs stung, her body almost collapsing from exhaustion. There was nothing she could do, there was nothing left for her to find. She walked towards where the small nursery had been, where she’d given birth and where she’d nursed Deme in her first years. There were no remnants of her daughter’s bed; again there was nothing. Orera pushed her hand against lone wall that stood in the new grave, leaning on it until it began to give way. She almost jumped back to avoiding getting ash and soot in her eyes, but then she saw something.

A glimmer in the sunlight made her pause, and then she was on her knees again and digging through the pile of ash and wood next to the wall. What she brought out was something she hadn’t thought of since she’d given it to her daughter. A small music box, metal and badly singed on the top and side, came from the pile of debris. Orera held the small box in her hands, turning it over and inspecting the damage that had been done. The small crank still sat stiff, and she turned it twice, biting her lip as the soft music began to play, filling the empty air of the town around her.

Orera walked from the wreckage and back to her things, hoisting everything up and replacing it on her body, not caring that she was getting ash on everything. She could clean herself and her belongings later, right now she needed answers. Her long obsidian staff stayed in her hand, reaching to her head, and so above the rest of the humans and elves that lived in the town, and she used it more to intimidate than as support. But when she walked back into the town green, there was still no one in the streets. The ground stood empty, void of other living beings, and Orera knew then that they knew she was there.

The first place she stopped by was the mayor’s home. This time she felt justified knocking on the door. It was well past noon now, she’d searched the wreckage for hours upon hours, and that meant that the occupants of the small town had to be awake; they could no longer feign sleep and escape her. The door to the mayor’s house was almost not enough to keep her outside, she knocked on it until she was sure if she knocked any harder it would break. The humans had always made weak doors and houses, not knowing how to weather through the storms. She did stop herself though, and she waited. There was no way the mayor, and most likely the whole town, had not heard her knocking; there could be no way they did not know why she had come.

Orera waited, and waited, standing in the same place in front of the mayor’s house. The staff eventually did become something to support her, and she knew that she would need to rest soon, the sun was setting. But how had the people of the town gone about their days if no one had left their houses? She could still see the smoke rising from their chimneys. They were home, she knew she wasn’t alone in the town. She couldn’t be. And the question nagging in her head about whether or not that was true was what prompted her to blast down the door to the mayor’s house.

She held back her staff and sent a bolt of electricity towards the door, putting a barrier around herself to avoid the spraying wood. When the dust settled, she entered the house. The mayor’s house was something one of the citizens of the town was supposed to be familiar with. The mayor, at least back when Orera had lived there, had always been friendly to her, and had always had numerous guests, mostly on behalf of his wife. But when Orera entered the house, everything again felt off, it screamed at her, calling her intruder, savage. She walked in further, past the staircase and towards where she knew the kitchen was. It wasn’t too far past dinner time, the family still could have been at the table.

No one sat at the table, it didn’t even look as though it’d been used. But then the smell of food came from deeper in the kitchen, and Orera opened a cupboard to find a roast waiting in a large dish. The family was still there, hiding somewhere. Orera kept her staff close, glancing around corners and trying to find the family before they found her. They didn’t seem to be downstairs, every room had been opened and inspected, and the cellar was locked from the outside. Orera walked towards the staircase, about to climb the steps before she heard creaking and then saw as the mayor and his oldest boy stood at the top, both holding swords and large pieces of wood.

“Orera, we want no trouble. We’ve no quarrel with you. Be on your way and you won’t get hurt.” The mayor trembled, and so did his sword. The boy, who probably didn’t remember who Orera was, he couldn’t have been more than 9, trembled even worse. She took the first step up the stairs, one hand holding her staff, the other the wooden railing. The mayor took a step down, putting his longsword closer to her. “I mean it! If-if you don’t leave the templars will get here, and I don’t think they’ll stop at making you Tranquil!”

Orera froze, her eyes wide as she looked at the mayor. More terror still beamed from his eyes than anything, but the threat, she knew that was real. They had probably sent someone away while she had been searching the remnants of the cottage. She hadn’t exactly paid attention to anything else going on around her. She’d spent so much time looking, giving the town enough time to fetch templars and come back.

“What have you done?” Orera growled. Though she was scared, the thought of being caught by templars was horrible, especially with everything happening in the Free Marches, she knew she wouldn’t escape them alive. She took another step up the stairs and almost rammed her staff into the ground to push the mayor and his son off their feet.

“We ain’t done nothin’, beast!” The son spoke this time, and the mayor pushed him back as he spoke.

“We haven’t done anything, Orera. Just-just leave peacefully before you or anyone else gets hurt. We won’t tell them where you go, just leave. Please, I’m beggin’ you.” Tears formed at the corner of the mayor’s eyes, his graying head furrowed and in pain. Orera stared at him for another minute before the boy lunged forward with his sword. It was simple to push him away with her staff, tipping him over the side of the bannister and stopping his sword from following him. The last thing she needed was templars after a murderer apostate. She flung the sword down the stairs away from the boy and turned back towards the mayor.

“You’re telling me you know nothing about Deme, nothing about Serna? You said, you told me when I left the first time, that the whole village would help protect her. You promised me you would keep her safe! She’s dead now!” The tears began again, and she realized her voice could probably be heard well beyond the house. The mayor took a step back, only to fall back on the stairs, looking up at Orera.

“I can’t do anything for you, Orera. It wasn’t us, we don’t know who, just leave, the templars will be here any time now and-”

“Does it look like I can’t handle a couple templars?” Orera knew he was right, but she couldn’t show him that. She’d only encountered them once before, and she hadn’t had her staff then, so they hadn’t even looked twice at her.  “I want answers. You can’t just tell me no one saw, that no one knew about this. Their house is the only one burned down. That’s not natural!”

The boy she’d flung from the bannister had gotten back up, and was now holding  the sword to her back. She felt the tip of the metal touching her skin, how had she not noticed it cutting her clothes?

“No! Don’t hurt her, son. Let her go.” The mayor held his hand out to his son, and Orera felt the blade lower slowly from her back. She could have made sure he was knocked out, but it was too late for that. Orera stepped back from the mayor, turning to see the son. A small cut on his chin and forehead, both bleeding a trickle, made him look angry, but she knew he was scared. They all were.

“I won’t forget this. I’ll be back.” She picked up her staff and walked down the stairs, not turning back to see how relieved the mayor was for her to be gone. She wouldn’t be gone forever though, she would come back. Orera left the house, and looking towards the stars, headed west. It was time she joined back with her company.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Questions and answers about a small music box after Halamshiral.

The sun rose and shone through the stained glass window, falling over the large bed and warming the inhabitants. Orera smiled and pushed her face further into the chest next to her  before opening her eyes and looking up to the person who shared her bed.

“You know, if I knew saying that yesterday would make you this cuddly I would have told you sooner,” Iron Bull chuckled, his whole chest moving as he did. Orera sat up, stretching her arms above her.

“I doubt that. Sadly, I do have things to do today. Josephine probably expects me this morning to help with letters to the nobles.” She sighed and leaned against the headboard, pulling her hair over her shoulder, brushing it with her fingers before beginning to braid it.

“Yeah, I should probably go see how Krem and the boys are doing.” Bull sat up, grunting a lot more than Orera did, but still achieving the same position.

“It’s not too late in the morning, we don’t have to rush.” Truthfully Orera didn’t want to leave, she wanted to spend another day in bed, doing nothing important and having no one expect her to be anywhere. Except she needed to be places now, her day of rest after traveling back from Halamshiral was over, and she hadn’t exactly rested in the same way another might have. Bull laughed and Orera smiled, continuing to braid her hair until she looked around for a ribbon to tie the end. When she couldn’t find one on the nightstand closest to her she sighed.

“Could you grab a ribbon from the nightstand? There should be one in the first drawer.”

Bull grunted and leaned over, opening the drawer on the left side of the bed. He pulled out one of the purple ribbons she kept in there, and leaned back over to pull out something else. Orera couldn’t see past his big hands, but a rock sunk in her stomach. She only kept one other thing in that drawer. She tied the end of her braid and stepped out of bed, walking over to her dresser.

“Kadan, I didn’t know you liked music. You didn’t seem to enjoy the masquerade that much.” Bull didn’t move out of bed, and Orera kept herself from turning around to see what he was holding. She hadn’t exactly spared the time to look at it since she moved into the large room.

“It’s not mine.”

“I could see that from the engraving.” Orera stopped, leavings her hands on the edge of the drawer she’d opened. She closed her eyes, taking a deep breath.

“Bull, could you please put it back.”

“Alright.” Orera heard the drawer open and close again, and she sighed when it did. She pulled her clothes out of the dresser, folding them on her arms before she turned around.

“I’m sorry. It’s still-”

“Hey, don’t worry about it. If you don’t want to talk about it, you don’t have to.” Bull rose from the bed, rolling his shoulders back as he did. Orera walked to the edge and placed her clothes on it, pulling on her small clothes and then her pants. Iron Bull picked his own clothes off the small couch nearby, and the two of them remained silent as they dressed.

“I should tell you. You deserve to know, you’re…. you’re important to me and this is important to me.” Orera took a large breath and pulled her undershirt on and her coat over it. She walked over to Bull, lightly touching his arm before pulling her hand back and grabbing her braid.

“Alright, boss. Whatever you need.” Orera turned to sit on the love-seat, making room for Bull to sit next to her. He got the message, sitting next to her and wrapping his arm around her shoulders. She turned her head into him, before starting back.

“You alright know that I was raised by Tal-Vashoth. I had a brother, too. They’re all gone, killed by some fucking humans or something. I-I was young when they all died, I didn’t know what to do, but at 13 I wasn’t really ready to live on my own. I joined my first mercenary group at 16, and if it hadn’t been for them I would be dead.” Orera bit her lip, trying to not think too hard about everything. She’d been able to avoid the emotion for so long, especially with everything the Inquisition needed. “There was.. another Tal-Vashoth in the band. The only other one. Long story short, we were together, and I got pregnant. When we planned on leaving some new recruit had caught us and turned us in, and they killed him before we could say anything. I only got to leave because I was pregnant. We were in the Free Marches then, and I found a small village where I gave birth to my daughter, Deme. She… she owned the music box.”

They sat there, silently, for a few minutes before Orera continued.

“I got the music box on a job in Orlais. One of the children of the family we had been escorting gave it to me when they heard I had a daughter. This human, she could have only been five or six, but she seemed to think it wrong for a mother to be away for her child, and she wanted me to return to Deme as soon as I could. I asked after that job to go back to the Free Marches and see her, and I did. I gave it to her, and I left again. I hated leaving, but it was the only way I could make sure she had everything she needed. I couldn’t work somewhere in the town, not without scaring anyone or being dragged away as an apostate. I left, but I would always come back. Well, one time I came back, and she wasn’t there. The house she’d been staying in was burned to the ground.” Orera stood from the couch, her hands flying to the base of her horns, grabbing them and wishing she could rip them out, to get rid of the things that set her apart from the rest of the people that followed her. “I came back to a burned down house, and the only fucking thing I could find was that shitty little music box she loved.”

Suddenly her hands felt hot and she let go of her horns, steam rising from her skin. She shook them around, blowing on them until they stopped steaming. The last thing she needed was to set fire to the castle. Orera took the few steps she needed to step out onto one of the balconies, placing her hand on the cool stone, letting the wind blow over her face. The people in the courtyard were already mulling about, doing their jobs and duties; it almost seemed as no one rested in Skyhold, and she wished that weren’t the truth. People needed rest, she needed it.

“Boss, you know that’s not your fault, right? Kadan?”

“It might as well be! If… if I had been able to stay closer to home, if I had been able to be there, I could have prevented it. But I didn’t. The ash wasn’t even warm, Bull. I don’t know how long she’d been dead when I got there. No one would answer me.” Orera didn’t turn to Bull as he leaned over the railing next to her, she just watched the clouds and let the tears drip off her chin.

“Kadan. You had no way of knowing. I know what it’s like to beat yourself up over something, and I think you’ve gutted yourself enough over this.” Bull turned to face her, his elbow resting on the stone. She dared a glance over and sighed, trying to get all of the hate she had for herself with the single breath.

“I… We can talk about it later, I think I need to get to Josephine.” Orera nodded, more to herself than anything, and looked to Bull. He sighed and nodded as well before standing straight.

“I love you, kadan. If you need something, you know where to find me.” With that, Bull left the balcony and her room, leaving her alone in the early morning wind.

The day didn’t get much better as it dragged on. Orera sat across from Josephine as she went over the various letters they had already received from the nobles that had attended the ball. Some were filled with words that she would have defined as hate and threats, but Josie assured her that they were all good willing, and that none of them held any real danger, not after what she’d just done for Orlais. Reading letters and replying to them took all morning, and there was hardly a break to go and rest or eat. This was what she got for requesting she rest yesterday and use her time fooling around in bed.

When she was about to leave Josephine to her desk the ambassador asked something. She pushed the small curls that had escaped her extravagant hair and looked across the desk to Orera.

“I hope yesterday was… restful. If there is anything else you may need, do not hesitate to ask.”  The Antivan smiled, placing her other papers in front of her. Orera raised an eyebrow, wondering what she must be meaning. There could be no mistake that what she had done the day before had been anything but restful, Bull had made sure at least half of Skyhold could hear her, But what else could she mean?

“I’ll remember that. Thank you, Josephine.”

“Also, Mother Giselle wished to speak to you about your idea of an orphanage being held for the children who come here with the larger groups. I have talked to the quartermaster already, and he has said that there should be enough supplies to not only house and feed the children, but clothe them if necessary. Mother Giselle will have more information than I, but I thought you would like to know.”

“Thank you for telling me. I’ll get to her right away.  I’ll see you later this evening in the war room.” Orera bowed her head, and Josephine mirrored her as she stood from her chair.

The main hall of the castle was of course filled with people eating, talking, laughing, and every other thing a person could do with another without being indecent. None of them really acknowledged her other than maybe taking a second glance at her height, horns, and hair, all of which made her stand out. Varric sat in his usual spot, this time a pen in his hand and a stack of paper on the table. Orera knew she could afford to at least stop and say hi.

“Working on your next masterpiece?” She smiled as Varric did, leaning over the table so he wouldn’t strain his neck.

“I doubt it’ll be that. Have you heard all of the demands your little circle has given me for this? I’ll be lucky to sell any copies at all at this rate.”

“I doubt that. You’ve got quite the following of Orlesian nobles.”

“Yeah, don’t I know it.”

“Well, I was just stopping to say hello. I’ve got to go and talk to Mother Giselle about the orphanage. Maybe you should work on a children’s book or something for them.”

“Next thing you know I’ll be writing parenting books too. See you later, your Inquisitorialness.” Varric nodded, a smirk on his face. Orera smiled and left him, heading towards the garden where the revered mother usually took her afternoons.

The garden, unlike the main hall, stood quiet. The plants grew, stretching towards the sun, the people sitting in the benches along the castle wall and in the garden whispered or didn’t speak at all. Mother Giselle sat on one of the benches, a thick book in her hands. Orera approached her and waited, not wanting to interrupt whatever she happened to be reading.

“Inquisitor. I am happy to see you. Sit, and we can discuss the plans for the orphanage.” Giselle moved over on the bench to allow Orera room, and she sat down next to the older woman. She shut her book and smiled, staring up towards the sky and then she looked to Orera. “It is good to have a mother leading such a noble force. I think this orphanage will truly show the people of Thedas that the Inquisition is here to help, no matter the situation they may come from.”

Orera froze, barely breathing as she took in Mother Giselle’s words.

“But I’m not a mother.”

“Do not think you hide it well. It is obvious in your choices and actions that you think for those who can not help themselves. You have already saved children and returned them to their parents. Even the smallest subtleties in how you deal with those younger than you show this. It is not a bad thing.” Mother Giselle’s smile disappeared as Orera began to stand up, her arms almost shaking.

“I’m not a mother. I… I’m not a mother now. I will see to it that any updates you might have make it to Josephine or Cullen. I have other matters I need to see to before the day is out,” Orera nodded as she spoke, meaning that for her goodbye. She left Mother Giselle on the bench, heading towards the tavern and the alcohol she desperately needed.

Herald’s Rest stood almost empty. The early afternoon didn’t have many patrons, most of the regulars not being done with their work yet. There were a few still sitting there though; peasants that had just come in, or those who had worked early and were already finished with their duties. Iron Bull and his Charger took up the back part of the first floor like they always did. She knew Bull would see her walk in, and she knew she should speak to him again, apologize for what she’d said earlier and explain more, but she didn’t want to do that right now. Right now she wanted to get too drunk to walk without support.

“I’ll take the strongest drink you have. The whole bottle.” Orera didn’t know what the strongest drink Cabot had was, she just knew it would be able to put her under until she was needed after dinner in the war room. The bartender eyed her over once before shrugging and pulling out stool and grabbing a bottle from the top shelf. He handed it over to her without a word, and she took the bottle and left the tavern. She could speak to Bull later when she wasn’t thinking about how obvious it must be that she’d had children.

More than one person eyed her questionably when she walked back through the courtyard and up the stairs to the main hall. The large brown bottle wasn’t exactly hidden, and Orera didn’t care to hide it. Though she did realize that if she was going to drink all the contents, even if she wanted to go to the war room later she wouldn’t be able to.  She would need to postpone the meeting. Orera sighed and walked down the hall to where Josie still sat at her desk.

“Josephine, if you could handle the plans for the orphanage, or give them over to someone else, that would be wonderful. I won’t be able to make the meeting tonight either, so if you could inform Leliana and Cullen, that would be good. I’ll.. I’ll talk to you about it tomorrow maybe. I just… need to be alone right now.” Orera didn’t exactly register anything Josie said while she turned away. She hadn’t paid enough attention to even see how the ambassador had reacted to her news. The only thing she could think of was of how drunk she was going to get, and how fast she was going to fall asleep.

When she entered the main hall, a considerable less amount of people stood in the farther part, and she found out why when she turned towards the door to her quarters. Bull leaned against the door, picking at his nails, obviously waiting for her. Orera sighed and walked over to him.

“Are you going to let me into my room?”

“Depends. You gonna share some of that with me?” Bull gestured towards the large bottle in her hand. She sighed and nodded, and Bull happily opened the door, following her up the stairs after closing it after him.

The two entered the bedroom, and Orera placed the bottle on her desk, taking her coat and trousers off afterward, folding them and placing them on top of her dresser. This left her in her undershirt and small-clothes, not as revealing as being naked, but definitely something she wouldn’t walk downstairs in. Bull left his clothes on, merely leaning back on the couch on the opposite side of the room.

“Today has not been good. I… Is it obvious I had a child?”

“You’re asking the guy who’s fucked you if it's obvious? I could tell, but I don’t know who else could have. What happened?”

“Mother Giselle… She told me it was good to have a mother at the head of the Inquisition. If she could tell, from the few times I’ve actually been close to her, who else could have told? I don’t act like a mother, do I?” Orera took a large breath, then walked back over to the desk, opening the bottle of alcohol and taking a swing, only to cough immediately afterward. Bull held his hand out, and she walked over to give it to him. He took a swig and blinked a few times before handing it back.

“I notice a lot of things, kadan. The first time I saw you back at Haven helping heal others I could tell, It’s not a bad thing.”

“I know that! It’s just not something I wanted others… I didn’t want anyone to know what had happened.”

“You still don’t have to tell them. They don’t need to know everything about you. If you want to keep things to yourself, do that. No one’s stopping you.” Bull gestured for the drink again and Orera passed it to him. They both took another swig, and Orera decided she should probably sit down. She leaned into him again, the bottle resting in her hands.

“I don’t know if I want them to know. What if I do?”

“Then tell them when you’re ready, kadan. They’ll be patient.” Bull took the bottle again and another swig, placing the brown bottle on the ground next to the couch. “I think that you’re still tired so nap time and you can get to everyone else later.”

“I love you.” Orera turned her face into his chest, and he wrapped his arms around her, the two of them barely able to sit on the couch let alone lay on it. She closed her eyes and hugged him back, taking deep breaths to calm herself.

“I love you too.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, so I thought the majority of this would be post-canon, but this chapter, and most likely the next one are going to be before the end of the plot. Thank you for reading, I hope you've liked it so far!


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After the ordeal in the Arbor Wilds, Orera contemplates what she should do after Corypheus.

Children sat all around the lone crate, staring in wonder towards the woman who sat on it. Orera couldn’t help but smile as she watched from the back of the room, her arms crossed over her chest as she watched the Chantry sister read the bedtime story Varric had been nice enough to write. It was a simple tale, one she hadn’t really expected, but it made their endeavour seem all the more important. The Sister continued to read, describing how Orera had closed the Breach with the help of the rebel mages. The story ended with them returning to Haven, not going into how Corypheus had attacked them afterward, but just with them celebrating. Then the Chantry Sister closed her book, though with a collective whine from the  children around her.

“It’s well past your bedtime. Maybe, if you go to sleep quickly tonight I’ll have the Herald of Andraste come in and read to you herself.” And that got the children to scram towards their bedrolls, some climbing ladders to get to theirs. So many children had been left parentless by the efforts in the Arbor Wilds. It’d been a week since they’d come back, and most of the main forces hadn’t returned, only a list of those they lost.

Orera headed out of the orphanage and back in through the infirmary, glad to see that no one was being worked on, that everyone with injuries was fast on the mend. Cold sat in the corner of the room, his hands on his knees, his feet swaying in front of him.

“It’s okay to want. He wants too,” Cole spoke before Orera was about to exit the infirmary. She froze, and looked back to him. There was no point keeping something from the spirit, why try?

“I can’t want now, not with this being so close to the end.”

“That doesn’t stop it.” Cole jumped from the crates he sat on and nodded before walking into the orphanage. Orera sighed, biting her lip before leaving the infirmary. She needed to get to bed, it was well past her own bedtime. The Vashoth walked away from the building, the chill in the mountain air refreshing as it hit her face. Few people walked about in the courtyard, most seemed to be mulling around the entrance to the tavern, which apparently was overflowing with people. She really hoped that Dorian and Bull weren’t having another drinking contest.

Walking over to the Herald’s Rest, she sighed. There were several games of Wicked Grace going on. Tables had been pushed together, and patrons watched with heated eyes as other soldiers played their hands. She didn’t know many of them, but they knew her, and there was almost a collective of people saying ‘Your Worship’ as she entered. She nodded and walked to the end of the room, where Bull waited, feigning sleep.

“You’ll never get to bed,” Orera joked, poking him in the arm. She took a seat on the barrel next to him, a small smile growing on her face. Bull’s eye opened and he smiled as well.

“I was hoping I wouldn’t be goin’ to bed any time soon.” Bull sat up straighter, stretching his arms before he stood. Orera bit her lip again, watching him unhinge.

“That can be arranged.” Orera stood again and took his hand in hers, kissing it lightly before letting them fall again.

“Oh come on, Chief. Get a room. We don’t need any of that lovey dovey shit here.” Krem spoke from his seat nearby, the other Chargers around him as well, all in varying degrees of drunkenness.

“I plan to Krem. Don’t worry about that.” Bull chuckled and Orera rolled her eyes before the two of them walked out of the tavern and towards the stairs to the main hall. Very few people sat in the main hall, though a few did eat and drink quietly. Varric seemed to be sleeping in his chair, though it didn’t look as though he’d planned that. They passed by him and walked towards the throne, hands swaying between them. Bull opened the door to her quarters and entered, Bull closing the door behind them.

The two of them finally fell onto the bed, Orera out of breath and legs trembling, Bull almost laughing, his hands resting on his stomach.

“You know you could have at least warned me.”

“If I had it wouldn’t have been as much fun.” Bull sat up on the bed, moving to rest his back on the headboard. Orera used an elbow as support as she looked up to him. They were both covered in sweat now, the stream of air running through her rooms not enough to cool them down. She sighed and sat up all the way before standing up on the bed and stretching her arms and legs.

“You know, if you stand like that I might not be able to handle myself.” Bull’s hand went to caress her ass, and she rolled her eyes before standing and turning to face him.

“You’re not tired? After what we just did?”

“Kadan, I’m always ready for a good fuck.” He laughed and Orera couldn’t believe the dope she’d saddled herself with. She stepped down from the bed, walking to the glass doors that lead outside. The air felt more refreshing, cooling off more sweat as she grew closer to submerging herself into the night air. But she didn’t, she closed the windows instead and headed back to the bed, motioning for Bull to move so they could get the covers on top of them.

“I heard you were at the orphanage tonight.” Bull and Orera moved down, lying on their pillows, both on their stomachs now to avoid ruining their pillows because of their horns. Orera nodded, thinking back to what Cole had said.

“The Sister that was telling them their bedtime story told about when we closed the Breach.”

“Did she tell everything?”

“She didn’t tell about what happened at Haven afterward. I guess she didn’t want them to be scared about something that was already done.”

“Makes sense.”

“And she said she might get me to come in and tell a story tomorrow.” Orera couldn’t lie still, she sat back up on her heels, pulling the blanket off of Bull and around her shoulders. He grunted and grabbed another one from the bottom of the bed.

“Yeah? What do you think you’re gonna tell?”

“Maybe about killing the Frostback in the Hinterlands. I don’t really want them to know about everything else. You know.. you could come in with me tomorrow.”

“And tell kids about killing dragons? I’m in.” Bull chuckled and rolled over onto his back, pushing himself further down the bed to not have his horns hit anything. Orera moved his blanket off and laid next to him, arm draped over his stomach as she pushed her face into his chest. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and let out a long sigh.

“I think.. I think after this I’d be willing to… you know.” Orera squirmed next to him, not wanting to say it, not really wanting to think too hard about it.

“I don’t know.”

“You do know.” Orera pushed her hand into his stomach and he nodded.

“Yeah, maybe. Haven’t actually stuck around to see any of my kids before.” Orera froze and looked up to him.

“You have other kids?”

“Did you really think the Qun would let me leave without giving them some of me? I knocked up, what, maybe six different women? Not at the same time sadly. But this is different, kadan. You know that.” Bull rubbed her back, pressing his fingers in to get out any knots, to help her relax. Orera nodded and sighed.

“I know. It’s just… It’s been a while. What if I can’t do it?”

“I’m sure you can. Don’t worry about it right now, we’ve still got a lot ahead of us.” Bull kept his hand on her back, and she sighed, closing her eyes and resigning herself to sleep.

The next morning Bull was gone from the bed, she figured he was out training his boys, and she had just slept in. He probably let her, she needed it after all. She stretched and stood from the bed, wrapping her blanket around her before looking at her desk. A slew of papers sat on it, and she realized someone had already come up to drop things off for her; this wasn’t the first time she’d slept in. She sat at the desk and decided she could do her paperwork naked, it wasn’t as if anyone was going to come and disturb her.

The day dragged on, almost never ending. There were supplies and men unaccounted for. A portion of the scouts Leliana had sent to the Wilds had made it back with more news about their losses, naming the parents of more of the children they had there. It hurt that none of the soldiers would be back for at least another week; the group of them were too large to travel fast, and that meant they could potentially be unprepared for Corypheus if he reared his head. But she couldn’t do much about it other than have herself and her friends be ready. The people there were ready.

The day ended faster than she thought though, and soon enough Orera was being asked by one of the Chantry Sisters if she could maybe spare some time for the orphans, she had after all spent a lot of time there. Orera of course said yes, and that she would definitely tell them a bedtime story. She went to grab Bull, who happened to be out with the training dummies. He and Krem were doing shield exercises again in the dimming light. Orera leaned against the wall, watching. Both knew she was there, but she knew they needed the time together, and it wasn’t like she was being rushed.

When the sun had finally departed from the sky, the two mercenaries had stopped training, both sweating profusely and making fun of the other. Orera smiled and handed them both towels she had gotten, and kissed Bull when he took his.

“Sister Maria asked if I could tell the children a bedtime story.”

“Did she now?” Bull wiped his face with the towel, getting under his horns and where his eye-patch rested on his face. Krem waved his goodbye as they stayed there, and Orera waved back.

“Yes, and I was hoping you could come with me.” Orera looked as Bull continued to sweat, and she sighed before taking a large breath and willing cold air to come out and cool him off.

“Thanks, kadan. Yeah, let’s go tell them about how the Iron Bull killed the dragon.” Bull swiped the towel under his arms before throwing it onto one of the dummies, taking Orera’s hand as they walked towards the orphanage.

More kids filled the rooms than the night before, more had tears still in their eyes and running down their faces, but here they were, looking up at the woman who would save the world. Orera almost found it suffocating to see all these kids looking up to her like that, but she knew they needed this; she probably needed it too. She took a seat on one of the beds, letting one of the smaller kids sit up on her lap when they insisted. Bull sat next to her, and no one seemed too excited to see him. She wouldn’t be surprised if he scared them by being there.

“So I heard Sister Maria told you all about the Breach yesterday.” Orera bounced the young girl on her lap, smiling down at her. Many of the kids started to reply, saying how they heard about what she did, and more than one whispered to a friend about how they wish they had horns so they could be like the Herald. She couldn’t stop smiling as they all tried to talk to her at once. “Well, I’m going to tell you a story about how the Iron Bull and I killed a dragon. We weren’t alone, we had our friends Varric and Dorian with us-”

“Dorian’s the one with the funny mustache?” One of the older children asked that. he must have been at least nine, and Orera couldn’t help but laugh.

“Yes, but I wouldn’t say that around him.” The boy blushed and sat back down, the rest of the children following suit to listen.

“I don’t know if you guys know how big dragons are, but imagine something as big as this building, bigger even.” Bull held his arms out to his sides, as if trying to show how big the dragon had been. “With horns like ours, and wings bigger than their body.”

“Are you a dragon?” The girl who asked this looked to be no older than five, she had her thumb stuck in her mouth, a thin blanket in her other hand close to covering her face.

“Sadly, no.”

“Anyway, we were in the Hinterlands, not far from Redcliffe village, when we started seeing dragonlings. Those are the dragon’s kids. When we walked far enough into the marsh, the Fereldan Frostback leaped off of the mountain into the sky. I started to send waves of ice towards it, and Dorian did the same. Bull over here couldn’t get very close to it until later. As soon as we started attacking the dragon, the dragonlings came for us, and so then he got to go and protect us with his large greataxe…”

The story went on and on, and the children sat, enraptured by the story and the way they battled a dragon on their own. Bull of course over exaggerated some parts, like how he killed each dragonling with one hit, and how he was able to lop off one of the Frostback’s legs to cripple it. They were finally coming onto the last part of the story, and at least five other children were sitting on both of their laps and on the bed they sat on. Bull had a kid sitting on his shoulders, and one trying in vain to sit on top of his horns.

“Once Orera and Dorian froze the dragon’s wings so it couldn’t fly, I went and I jumped and chopped the dragon’s head off in one fell swoop.” Bull raised his arms to mirror the action he was clearly lying about. The children sitting on his shoulders almost fell off, but he caught them and placed them back on his lap with the others.

“That’s how we killed the Fereldan Frostback. And that was only the first dragon we’ve killed. We killed ten.”

“Ten dragons?!” The children all seemed to find it amazing that someone could defeat one dragon, and now knowing they’d killed ten? Orera smiled and looked to Bull, who smiled and winked back.

“And maybe we’ll tell you guys how we killed the next one another night.’

“That’s right, it’s time for bed,” Sister Maria entered the room as they finished their story. Many of them groaned, another asked for one more story, and as soon as one started, another followed.

“No, we have to get to bed too. Sleep is important. I wouldn’t’ve been able to kill that dragon if I hadn’t slept well the night before,” Orera made sure to look directly at some of the children who were protesting going to bed. They all soon agreed that if they were going to kill a dragon one day they would need to sleep too. Sister Maria got them all into their beds, and thanked Bull and Orera for coming in to help. They left the orphanage hand in hand and headed towards the main hall.

They both laid in bed, not talking, just listening to one another breath and touching in all the necessary places.

“I think.. I think I’m ready. Maybe.. maybe after this.” Orera tapped her fingers over Bull’s hand, biting her lip.

“Whatever you need, kadan.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for reading once again. After this chapter, the rest of the story will be post-canon plot, so I might be making up some stuff haha. I hope you've enjoyed it so far!!


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Orera is set on having a child, and so she has one.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> There are some time gaps in this chapter, but mostly because the main part of the story comes after ;)
> 
> Also there is child birth at the end of the chapter. I did my best to not make it graphic, but if it makes anyone uncomfortable it's in the middle of the last segment. You can skip to the last 1/2 paragraphs if you don't want to read it.

“I still can’t believe you did that.” Orera shook her head, holding in a laugh as she walked up the stairs to her room. Bull walked behind her, chuckling under his breath.

“You should always take me seriously, kadan. Especially when it comes to you.” She felt him tap her ass and she slapped his hand away.

“Yes, well that was still embarrassing. There was no way to hide it.”

“That was the point.”

“Ass.” Orera stepped onto the final landing and into the room, beginning to unbutton her coat when she felt Bull’s hands on her shoulders. He began rubbing his thumbs in small circles, pressing into the space between her shoulder blades and Orera’s arms fell to her side as he did. She couldn’t help but hunch over as the pads of his fingers pressed into the knots she’d figured were stones under her skin, wave after wave of relief washing over her. He stopped for a moment, and Orera took that as her cue to turn around, her hands resting on his arms.

“I think it’s your turn now. Come on, into bed.” Orera kissed him, just brushing her lips over his, feeling the scars and cracks in his lips, smiling into him. She took a step back and walked to her dresser, taking her coat off as well as her other clothes. Bull followed suit, and laid down in the bed, four pillows underneath his head. Orera began to untie her braid as she walked towards the bed, swaying more than a little bit as she did, humming a tune she couldn’t name. She lifted one leg onto the mattress and finished undoing her braid, letting her hair and arms fall before climbing the rest of the way up. She sat on her heels next to Bull, her hands taking his.

“You really know how to woo a guy, kadan.” Bull chuckled, his smile small but genuine. Orera nodded her head, pushing her hair over one shoulder before raising his hand to her mouth.

“I know.”

 

* * *

 

Orera sighed again, laying on Bull’s chest as he pretended to sleep for her sake. They’d both been awake hours now, but she insisted he keep sleeping, she was just thinking too much. His hand rested on her back, giving a semblance of comfort Orera still hadn’t gotten used to. There were many things she wanted to talk about, but she didn’t know how to bring any of them up. Soon enough the sun began to rise, shining through the windows and into the room, lighting the dust motes that flew lazily through the air.

“Bull… I.. I think I really do want another child. I mean, if you’d like to have one. We could take care of them here, they’d be safe from anything, we wouldn’t have to worry about-”

“Orera, you know I love you. If we had a kid, I’d help raise them the best I could. It’s your decision though, you’re gonna be the one carrying them for over 8 months.”

“It’s not that hard… and then I guess we’ll need to repeat last night, just to make sure I… To make sure that I-” Orera sat up, her face feeling hot. She turned away from Bull for a second, pulling her hair over her shoulder and running her fingers through it. Even thinking about it made her nervous. That didn’t make sense to her either, she’d slept with Bull so many times? How would it be different this time? Because she wouldn’t try to stop herself from getting pregnant? She closed her eyes and sighed, trying to calm herself.

“Can get pregnant?”

“Yes,” she huffed, turning back to face Bull. He laughed and sat up as well, pulling her closer, wrapping his arms around her.

“I don’t think that’ll be a problem.”

 

* * *

 

“We can’t stay in bed any longer, Bull. I’ve still got things I have to do. Just because Corpyheus is dead doesn’t mean my work is finished.” Orera knew he was doing this on purpose. They’d stayed in bed well past lunch, and someone had come to check if they were okay only to get an eyeful of naked Tal-Vashoth. Needless to say, Orera was starting to get restless.

“That doesn’t make sense. You’ve finished all this shit for them, and now you’ve got to do more? We took a day after the Winter Palace, we can take a day after we’ve finished what we started.” Bull kept Orera close, holding her to his chest. It wasn’t that Orera didn’t like the idea of staying in bed, but she hadn’t told anyone she planned to do that. People expected her to be there the day after their enormous victory, and the only thing the people knew now was that she was fucking her lover in ways that would make most people blush.

She sighed and relaxed her body again. As much as she knew Iron Bull was right, she still felt horrible for just abandoning her council with all her duties. She could apologize to them later, but that didn’t meant she didn’t feel bad about it.

“I just.. We have all the time we need. We could continue later tonight.. I would like to at least get a bit of fresh air and make sure the soldiers are getting back okay.” Orera began to squirm under his arms, her hands snaking up to his horns to pull her up. She kissed him and sat up, her legs straddling his waist. “I promise we’ll be able to do whatever you want later. Your boys are probably missing you too.”

Bull groaned and nodded, knowing she was right. The two of them got up, and after quickly scrubbing down with the towels, made themselves presentable. Orera stretched and buttoned her coat while she sat on the balcony, and turned to look inside as Bull said goodbye for now. She waved and turned back to face the courtyard. She would need to leave soon too, but the absolute joy and celebration still filling the air was enough to make her wait there and smile.

Orera walked back inside, closing the door to the balcony, and walked to the nightstand to get her brush. She stopped halfway there, staring at the small metal box shining in the sunlight. Bull must have gotten it out, there was no other way for it to have gotten there. Orera closed her eyes, steeling herself before she reached past the music box for her brush, turning away to run it through her hair. She couldn’t walk out of her chambers crying, she needed to still be there for those that needed her. The brush was placed on her dresser, and Orera, her long gray hair falling down behind her, walked down the stairs towards the main hall.

The crowd that had gathered since the night before, which had been the largest the hall had ever gathered, was at least twice as large now. People lined the walls on all sides, they stood in doorways and did everything they could to make sure they could see the Inquisitor as she came out of her quarters.

“It’s her this time! Your Worship!” A voice boomed over everyone, which immediately made her freeze as the crowd began to cheer. The celebration for the destruction of Corypheus wasn’t to end it seemed.

Orera went and sat in her throne, mindful to not sit on her hair. Everyone seemed to lurch forward, to get closer, but a few of the guards that had been stationed in the main hall were good at keeping them a good distance away from her. Then began the questioning by the nobles.

“Inquisitor, what do you plan to do now that Corypheus has been defeated?” The question was definitely one Orera knew she would not be able to escape, especially with everything else going on in Thedas. She knew there were multiple answers she could give, all leading to either ends of treaties and alliances, or leading to new ones. Either way, she was a in a bind. And that was when Orera knew her time as Inquisitor needed to end, and a new one would need to be chosen.

 

* * *

 

“I’ve got a week left to do this, and I’m going to. I don’t care that I’m pregnant, the baby will be fine.” Orera stood at the stables, the reins to her horse in her hands. There were guards and others around her, including Josephine and Cullen, trying to stop her from leaving, most of them physically blocked her way out.

“Your Worship, you should at least see that we get a carriage. You can’t just ride by yourself to Val Royeaux.” Cullen wasn’t against her going, he knew that there would be resources for her there were she to go into labor.

“And why not?” A carriage would be too slow, it would take weeks to get to Val Royeaux, instead of a few days with a horse and a boat ride. Orera stood her ground, looking down to all the people trying to keep her from leaving.

“It’s dangerous!” And with that Cullen showed his anger at her stubbornness. His cheeks had begun to get red, at though he was upset at her decisions, which he had been happy to follow before she’d gotten pregnant.

“Thank you for your concern, but I’ll happily let you know I won’t be going alone. Bull, get your horse.” Orera turned to see the large Tal-Vashoth standing behind her in the stables, but not with the reins of his horse in his hands. She didn’t like the look on his face.

“I think I’m gonna have to agree with them on this, kadan. You could pop any minute.” And there was exactly what Orera hadn’t wanted to hear. She huffed and turned back towards the humans.

“That hasn’t stopped me from doing my duties as Inquisitor.”

“That is also because we’ve failed to find a suitable replacement. I assure you, if we do find one we will let you know, but please, Inquisitor, take a carriage. I’m sure Leli- Divine Victoria will understand if you are late. She does know of your condition.” Josephine stepped in front of Cullen, trying her hardest to calm the situation, to calm Orera.

“I.. I know she does.” Leliana knew all too well of her condition, she was the first to know outside of Orera and Bull, and just because one of her people had heard them talking about it in the courtyard.

“She would probably not be adverse to waiting until after you’ve had the child. It is in your best interest to stay here, Inquisitor. I could send her a letter and see if there is a time later that we could meet with her.” Josephine knew she was gaining ground with each point she made, and Orera sighed in defeat.

“Fine. You two can take over my duties until I have this, and then once I’m back on my feet, I’m leaving for Val Royeaux. The baby can come with me.” Orera knew she would not budge on this point, but her council seemed to think it better than her riding in nine months pregnant and ready to shoot. She handed the reins to one of the stable boys and blinked a few times, gaining her bearings and placing one hand on her stomach as she felt the baby kick.

“You alright, kadan?”

“Yes, I’m fine. Just more kicking.”

“Hah, I think our kids gonna be a fighter.” Bull walked forward a bit, placing his hand over her belly. Orera smiled up at him and placed her hand over his. The mood at the entrance of the stables changed drastically as everyone watched the soon-to-be parents.

“If the kicking is anything to go by then yes. Are we going to go back inside, or what? I’m freezing out here.” Orera took her coat and wrapped it tighter around herself, at least as much as she could with her stomach in the way. The group surrounding her made room, and she walked back off to the main hall, the Iron Bull right behind her.

Things had cooled down since the defeat of Corypheus, no one talked about him anymore, there were far too many other things they needed to deal with. The Freemen of the Dales were one of them, they needed to be put down, and Orera knew that Josephine had been talking a great deal with Empress Celene and Briala about how to deal with them. There had even been talks about new towns being raised for the elves to live in by themselves, something Orera thought she would never see. The remaining rebel templars had gone into hiding, or had quit to join the Inquisition, where Orera welcomed them on Cullen’s behalf. He would be overseeing those who wanted to give up their lyrium, and keeping an eye on those who remained dependent on the substance. So much had happened, at least it felt like it did. Orera could hardly keep track of everything around her, especially when she was barely able to walk the stairs into the main hall.

The one thing that hadn’t changed since she’d beaten the dark magister was the contents of the main hall. People still lined the tables and the walls, talking about multiple things in multiple tongues. The variety of people changed, and she was glad to see some of the newer recruits, Tal-Vashoth from the north, were making themselves at home with the others, and no one showed any outward signs of being scared of them, which was the most she could hope for at the moment. The few that were there saluted her, and she saluted back before walking down towards her throne.

It had been her custom now to eat with her people, and to do that a table had been brought to sit in front of her throne. She took her seat and watched as servants moved food to adorn it, others moving chairs around it for people to join. They were only allowed the side opposite of her though, her inner circle having seats reserved next to her. Bull took his place on her right side, and began piling things on his plate. Orera pointed to a few dishes, and he placed those on hers, since she couldn't reach over the mass bulging out of her. The few Tal-Vashoth that had been near the back of the hall walked forward, and Orera couldn’t be happier to see them. She smiled and then went to eating, suddenly famished.

More and more people began to join her at the table, and once all the ones among her friends who had come to sit, that at last still resided with her, she let others join the seats on her side of the table. Idle chatter and talk, of the farms closest to Skyhold, and of the weather and how it might fare the next couple of days, many topics took the attention of those sitting. Orera didn’t dabble in it until she saw Varric chatting with Dorian, the mage growing quite flustered with everything Varric seemed to say. She wiped her mouth with her napkin and pushed her chair out. Bull watched her closely if she should fall, her ankles so close to swelling she could feel it, and that of course meant he knew too. She steadied herself on Bull’s shoulder, and then walked over to the dwarf to see what they could possibly be talking about.

“I will not have you say that. My fashion isn’t over-eccentric, it’s perfect in every way. Would you agree, Inquisitor?” Dorian took the chance to have Orera come to his aid, and she blinked before laughing.

“I wouldn’t say perfect, but it is definitely interesting. What, is Varric writing you with fashion you wish you could have?” Dorian seemed to pout at that, and Varric laughed loud enough for everyone in the hall to hear.

“No! It’s just simply not accurate. If he is to get one thing right, it could be this little thing, yes? Clothes are an important part of my life, and I couldn’t stand being portrayed as some devilishly handsome man with little to no fashion-sense.” Orera continued to laugh as Dorian spoke, holding her stomach as she did and leaning on one of the high backed chairs with her other arm. Then she started to feel the baby kick again and she stopped laughing. The kicking felt more violent before and that was when Orera cried out, bending over one of the chairs holding her stomach.

Everyone else froze, turning to watch her. Bull was by her side immediately, lifting her in a swift movement.

“Get someone up to the Inquisitor’s quarters now. Now!” Bull shouted again, and he turned from the table, holding Orera in his arms. She screamed out again, the pain coming from her groin like nothing she’d experienced before. Bull carried her up the stairs and placed her gently on the bed. A mage and another woman came into the room, both holding towards with bowls of steaming water atop them. Orera let Bull take off the bottom half of her clothes, baring herself to the women.

They were quick to get her situated, pillows behind her head, towels underneath and in front of her, and one of them crushing elfroot and making her chew to help the pain. It wasn’t long until she could hear a knock on the door.

“Do you want anyone else coming in, kadan?”

“Just… Just the council.” She squeezed her eyes shut, biting her lip as she felt another contraction come over her. The elfroot hadn’t taken effect yet, meaning the pain in her hips was enough to almost make her pass out. “I don’t care, Bull. Let anyone who wants in, just.. make sure they stay away from me.”

Bull nodded and she grabbed hold of his hand before he went back to the door. One of the women who had entered quickly went to let whoever had been knocking in. Orera didn’t get to see who joined them, another contraction making her scream in pain. It hurt to have her eyes open, but she listened to hear the mage’s instructions. She breathed when she was told, she pushed and she screamed for what felt like hours. No one else made a sound and Orera could feel nothing but heat and pain; she squeezed down on Bull’s hand harder, hoping he’d forgive her for having such a strong grip.

And then the pain climaxed, and she heard someone tell her to push and she did, screaming out every last breath she had. The pressure left, the pain subsided into a throb much like being hit in the thigh with an arrow, but less than being thrown onto rocks. She took shaky breaths, still unable to open her eyes, that was until she felt a warm cloth brush over them, wiping the sweat from her brow. All she could hear was crying.

She blinked her eyes open and saw people surrounding her bed. Josephine, Cullen, and Cassandra stood on her left, with Bull and Varric on her right. Dorian seemed to be walking up the stairs, apparently not having wanted to watch her give birth. She smiled breathlessly and looked to the women at the end of her bed, quickly washing her child and removing all the mess. It didn’t take long for them to finish, the baby’s crying died down soon enough, and Orera held her hands out.

“What is it?” Her throat felt parched, she could barely hear herself as she talked. She kept her arms out until the child was placed into them. No one had to help her learn to hold the infant, she took to it naturally.

“It’s a girl.” The woman who had crushed the elfroot to help aid the pain answered her. She smiled, her hands folded in front of her now dirty and bloodied apron. Orera felt tears forming at the corners of her eyes, and she smiled, taking the child and holding her close. She pushed down her blouse, not caring what the people around her thought, and and raised the baby’s mouth to her breast.

“What will you name her, Inquisitor?” Cassandra asked first, but she knew the rest of the group around her wished to know. She glanced over to Bull, who nodded his head. they’d talked long and hard about what they would name their child. They’d chosen something with meaning, something that would let them walk with pride knowing their parents had helped saved the world. Orera looked to Cassandra, and then to the others before returning down to the hungry child in her arms.

“Anaan.” Before anyone could ask what that meant, Iron Bull being the only other one to have any understanding on Qunlat, she translated. “Victory.”

 

 


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anaan is growing up, and Orera has a possible replacement on the way.

The amount of pain Orera was willing to put up with was nowhere near the amount of pain her postpartum cramps were giving her. She didn’t let that get her down though. The first dew days after giving birth, she stayed in the main building, the child either in her arms or hands as she passed her onto whoever wanted to carry her. Not many people did want to hold her, seeing as Anaan was twice as big as a human baby, which meant Orera carried her around as she went about her business. The only time she wasn’t carrying Anaan was when Iron Bull was, which wasn’t often. As much as she wanted Bull to stay by her side, mostly to show him the ropes of how to not suffocate a baby with large hands, he couldn’t. The Chargers, though on a long term job for the Inquisition, were still taking on other contracts to fulfill in their down time, and one of his men had come back to say they might need him to help complete the job they’d taken on.

When Bull came home, Orera couldn’t be happier. Almost five weeks after the small Vashoth had been born, Bull came back up the stairs into her chambers, a new scar on his chest, new stitches, bruises, and scabs littered his body. He sighed in relief after unbuckling and dropping his harness on the ground. Orera stood up from her desk, readjusting Anaan in her arms as she walked over to him. He slouched as he sat in the couch, a smile growing on his face as he looked to them.

“Let me have her,” Bull reached out his arms as he spoke, and Orera quickly obliged, handing their child to him, helping settle her in his arms. Almost immediately Anaan took to him, though Orera knew it had to just be the fact he was a different face than what she was used to.  Of course then, the baby’s hands went to him face, seemingly noticing the difference in texture from her mother’s. The eye-patch didn’t escape her attention, her small fingers playing with the strap holding it to Bull’s face; ultimately she seemed a lot more interested in the strap than the actually material covering where his eye had been. She giggled, pulling it from his face and letting it snap back. “She? She already likes causing pain, definitely a fighter.”

“I hardly doubt she realizes what she’s doing.” Orera sat on the armrest of the couch, smiling as she watched the two interact. She patted her daughter’s head, rubbing her hand over where the skin had already begun to darken. “We at least know she’s getting her horns from you.”

“I can’t wait. Hopefully hers won’t make it so hard to get through doors.” Bull laughed, moving to nudge Anaan’s hand with his nose before he kissed it. Her fingers lingered on his mouth before she smiled and looked to Orera. She smiled back, her eyes beginning to sting.

“I’m glad we did this.” Orera put her finger out, Anaan grabbing it with her other hand.

“Me too, kadan. This will definitely be different. Come here.” Bull sat up more, wincing a bit as he did, and moved over to make room for Orera next to him. She sat down, tears threatening to fall as he wrapped his arm around her shoulders. He moved Anaan to sit on their laps, both holding her up. The baby looked to both of them, a toothless grin on her face. Orera turned her head and kissed Bull’s shoulder, the first few tears falling onto his skin.

“I hope so.”

 

* * *

 

Crying again broke the night, the stone room filling with it as time went on. Orera groaned, pushing her forehead into her pillow before she turned to stand up from bed.

“When’s this going to stop?” Bull mumbled into his pillow.

“Not for another couple months. It’s not her teeth, it’s her horns. You felt the bumps the other day, right?” Orera took the few steps over to the crib, picking Anaan up in her arms. The child, now just over a year old, had silver hair to her chin, now wet with her spreading her tears around her head. Orera bounced the baby on her side before walking over to the side of bed Bull still laid on.

“Yeah, I did. They’re gonna be huge.”

“I’m worried about how much bleeding there’s going to be when they emerge. It’s not pretty. Could you get me the balm in the drawer?” Orera pointed towards the top drawer. Bull rolled over and opened the drawer, pulling out the large jar they probably used too much. Orera hadn’t been happier than the day Varric had happened to get a large box of horn balm from back in Kirkwall. Not only that, but Bull also pulled out an elfroot salve, handing both to her.

“I don’t remember it being this painful.” Bull sat up in bed, rubbing his eye before swinging his legs over the side. Orera sat on the couch, the jars on the small table nearby, Anaan in her lap. She bounced the baby a bit more, trying to get her to at least stop crying. She opened the jars with a swipe of her finger, not beyond using magic for menial tasks. The salve came out easily, and Orera pushed back Anaan’s hair before beginning to rub it into the blackened spots on her head.

“You remember that?”

“You don’t really forget these things growing out. I don’t remember when I was that young, but definitely when I was a toddler. Mine grew real slow.” Bull chuckled, and Orera was reminded about her own horn growth. It was definitely not something she remembered fondly.

“I guess. Let’s hope this isn’t so bad for her.” As Orera rubbed the salve into her head, she wasn’t beyond using her magic for the pain either. The small glow from her hands made Anaan stop crying, and she reached up to Orera’s hands, grabbing her thumbs and pulling them down to look. They stopped glowing when she did, and Anaan immediately pouted. “Maybe she’ll be a mage.”

“Won’t that take a few years to find out?”

“It depends on the person, I guess. Mine came in when I was almost ten, but I’ve heard others getting theirs when they were toddlers.” The salve seemed to be doing its work, Anaan no longer cried in her lap, the pain absent for the moment. Orera hoped it would last. She bounced Anaan a little more on her lap before picking her up and walking over to the crib. As she was about to place the baby down, Anaan reached up towards Orera’s face, whining until she brought the baby back to her chest. “What’s wrong, imekari?”

“Think she wants to sleep on the bed?” Bull stifled a yawn, moving back to have his legs on the bed.

“Probably. Come on, Anaan.” Orera walked over to the bed and handed the baby to Bull before sitting herself down. Bull lifted Anaan into the air before moving to lie on his back, placing the baby on his stomach afterward. Orera smiled, placing her hand on the baby’s back before leaning over to kiss Bull on the cheek and lying next to him. It didn’t take long for the three of them to fall to sleep.

 

* * *

 

“Is daddy back yet?” Orera entered the war room, Cullen following after her. Anaan held her mother’s hand, walking quickly beside her, her hair kept back in a braid just past her shoulders. The small Vashoth had just turned four, yet she was a big as human children twice her age.

“Not yet, imekari. He should be back today. Be patient.” Orera guided the Vashoth towards the corner of the room by the windows. There stood numerous toys Anaan had been given by multiple people across Thedas. The child of the Inquisitor wasn’t to have a lack of anything, something Orera didn’t feel quite comfortable with. But she knew that denying gifts on the child’s behalf would not give the right message, and so Anaan had several chests filled with costumes and toys, though most of them were in storage.

“Inquisitor, we’ve finally gotten word from your friend that left us after you defeated Corypheus. Erethi Lavellan. She was quite hard to find after what happened.. between her and Solas. But we did receive word, and she agreed to come back here and possibly accept your position, if her cousin was allowed to accompany her.” Cullen shuffled through the papers in his hand, then placed them on the table and pushed them towards Orera. She picked up the papers and glanced through them before sighing.

“She wants to bring Syrith. You weren’t there, but I met these two before the explosion at the Conclave. Erethi and Syrith were lucky to escape before the explosion. He’s… he’s a bit different.” Orera knew Erethi simply wanted to get him a safe place to stay, especially after the clan had kicked him out for being who he was.

“Different how?”

“Well, he’s inclined towards men, as Dorian is, which is seen almost as bad if not worse there than in the Imperium. From this… he’s been traveling on his own across the Approach? Have both of them gone mad?” Orera placed the papers down. Learning about where they had found her friend made Orera groan.

“Is there something wrong?” Cullen held his hands out for the documents again, and Orera handed them to him.

“He’s been studying Tevinter ruins. The other part that makes Syrith different, and you aren’t to tell anyone, is that he studies all forms of magic.”

“You don’t mean…?” Cullen froze and Orera nodded before answering.

“Yes, he primarily studies blood magic. He knows what people think of it though, he won’t perform any here.” Truth be told, Syrith only studied it and used it when in extreme need. Orera had never seen him actually use any, but he’d talked about it enough to know he could. Orera didn’t say anything else on the matter, she walked over to Anaan and picked her up, positioning her on her side.

“Make sure they get a small escort. Small, and try to get some of the elven soldiers, even if they’re city elves. Syrith isn’t comfortable around humans.” Orera neared the door when Cullen asked another question.

“You don’t think that might be a problem?” The Commander of the Inquisition’s forces seemed to be more than on edge about a bloodmage coming onto the grounds.

“He’ll be fine, and if Erethi wants him to come… I’m just worried about what state he’ll be in. Now, if you’ll excuse me, someone’s waiting for me.” Orera adjusted Anaan again, who had a small Orlesian doll in her hands, and left the war room.

The main hall held the people Orera had been hoping. The Bull’s Chargers sat and stood around the table on the left side of the room, all in varying degrees of injured. Some were nursing broken bones, others had bandages around their chests and arms. Orera smiled towards them, and headed towards the end of the table, where Bull sat with a large mug in his hand.

“Kadan, I was wondering when you’d come out of that room,” Bull’s voice boomed over the others, and as soon as Anaan heard him and wanted out of Orera’s arms. She let the small Vashoth down, and Anaan ran towards her father, her doll left behind on the ground. Bull laughed and picked her up as she jumped up to him.

“Daddy!” The first thing Anaan did was push her nose to his and kiss it. The Chargers laughed and Orera smiled with them. Anaan didn’t seem to get what had been funny, but smiled all the way.

“Hey Chief, maybe next time we should bring her, you guys would make a great distraction,” Krem took a swig out of the bottle in his hand, smiling along with the rest of the soldiers.

“That ain’t a half bad idea, Krem, but that depends on what her mom thinks.” Bull laughed too, moving Anaan to sit on his lap facing the table. Orera took the seat next to him, shaking her head.

“And that would be a definite no.”

“But I wanna go with daddy!” Another roar of laughter started around the table as the young girl smiled in blissful ignorance at what it was the did when they were away.

“Maybe when you’re older Mommy and I will take you somewhere, but you’ve gotta grow big and strong like us before that happens.”

“I’m big!” Anaan raised her arms above her head, trying to show how big she was. She poked at her horns, which were beginning to grow larger; they’d already surfaced, and her parents had already celebrated over the fact that she was growing four.

“Not big enough, imekari. It won’t be long. Maybe your father will start training you soon.” Orera raised an eyebrow in Bull’s direction, and he shrugged, obviously not against it.

“Another year or so, after she’s learned to read and all that. Maybe then.” It made sense, she needed to start her lessons, Orera had even already looked in to getting her a tutor for the things Orera couldn’t teach her. She nodded and looked out the large door to see the sun beginning to set.

“As it is, Anaan was going to go play with the other children. I’ll go and take her there.” There was an unsaid ‘and I’ll meet you in the bedroom.’ Orera stood from the table and held her hand out for her daughter. Anaan pouted, not wanting to leave her father and his friends, but she got down from his lap anyway. Bull patted her head before Orera took her hand and walked with her out of the main hall.

Soldiers and other people mulled around the courtyard, and Anaan waved at everyone, and everyone that noticed her waved back. The orphanage doors were wide open and it appeared it was cleaning day, especially with the all the dust and dirt coming out of the doors and windows. The children immediately noticed them walking towards the doors, and the younger ones, the ones around the same age as  Anaan, came running out to meet her. It wasn’t long until she was pulled into the building, leaving her mother, quite literally, in the dust.

Orera stopped one of the Chantry sisters still helping along with the orphanage and asked them to make sure Anaan didn’t stay up too late with the other children. Then she made her way back towards the main hall, and back up to her quarters.

Bull waited inside, his harness, brace, and shoes removed, relaxing in the couch, almost sleeping. Orera played her fingers over his shoulder, sending small waves of heat to relax his muscles while she walked up the stairs behind him.

“Oh yeah, that’s the spot.” Bull hummed as Orera continued to heat through his shoulders and back, eventually settling herself on his lap, her arms resting on his shoulders.

“You were gone a long time.” Orera rested her forehead on his and kissed him soon after. He nodded and sighed.

“That hadn’t been the plan. We got caught in a thunder storm and had to stay a few extra days. The job took a long time as it was. Remind me to never take jobs in the Anderfels ever again.”

“Can do. Actually, I had a question. So, you know we’ve been looking for a replacement… well, you remember Erethi. One of our foremost scouts, she… well they thought she would be a good replacement. She’s a personal friend, and it would be easy to tell her everything she needs-”

“Kadan.”

“Could you stay here until she gets here? Until Erethi and her cousin get here that is. I… I can’t leave the Inquisition, but I’m going to have to start getting caught up with everything to help her start her, well her reign. And I need you to be here to watch Anaan and help her.” Orera mostly wanted him to stay. She wished he didn’t have to go out, but she knew what it was like. The life of a mercenary, moving from place to place, you get restless. She’d gotten restless, and that’s what had ruined her life.

“I can stay as long as you need me. I’ll tell the boys escorts only.” Bull could feel her stress, could sense her anxiety about him being gone so often and for so long. He knew what had happened, and he knew it pained her to think about it. She didn’t want the same mistake made, however different it might happen under the different circumstances they were in now.

“Thank you.” Orera kissed him again. They stayed silent, just resting. She closed her eyes and bumped her nose against his before pulling back just a bit. Bull smiled up to her and cupped his hand under her face, pulling her back in and kissing her soundly.

“I didn’t know being a parent would make me too tired for sex, but here I am, ready to go to bed before the sky’s even dark.”

“I think that has more to do with the two new scars to seem to have more than being a parent, but that could definitely be a contributing factor. Sleep sounds good, but let me get to your wounds first.” Orera stepped back from the couch and watched as Bull stood up, and with a visible limp, walk over to the bed. He sat back down and Orera walked over to see what exactly he’d done to himself on his latest mission.

The next hour was filled with Bull grimacing and grunting as Orera poked and prodded him, making sure none of his sores and bruises were left unhealed. She relaxed his body when she finished and joined him on the bed.

“Anaan is with the other children tonight, so there’s no nightmare watch.” Orera stretched under the covers before moving closer to Bull. He smiled and moved so she could lay right next to him, then he realized what she’d said and frowned

“Has she been having a lot of nightmares lately?” Orera nodded her head and sighed.

“It’s mostly when you leave. I ask her about them, to make sure it's nothing to do with her having magic. I think she knows what you do when you leave, because she only seems to have them when you’re gone.”

“It would make sense. I’ll make sure to be around.” Bull kissed Orera’s head and the two easily fell asleep, exhausted from a long day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So from here on out the chapters might take a bit longer to get up since after this chapter is when things start to get hairy. 
> 
> Also if you've seen my other da:i fics, you would know Erethi Lavellan is another one of my inquisitors, though I think Orera is gonna be my canon one, and Erethi would definitely still be in her story, and so here is her first mention :) (Syrith is another one of my playthroughs lol)
> 
> I hope you enjoyed reading this! Thank you!


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Erethi and Syrith arrive, and someone leaves.

Orera brushed her hair, running the implement through her gray locks until it passed right through. She raised her hands to her head then and began to braid portions towards the middle until they joined into a larger braid. Every expense was to be paid, Erethi and Syrith were to arrive that day and Orera wanted to look her part, even though the elves probably wouldn’t after traveling for over a week. Either way, it was an excuse to bathe and dress in the clothes she’d put away for years. She bound her chest and slipped on a lavender tunic, silver embroidery swirling around the collar and the edges of her sleeves, then tied black rope around her waist and pulled on a pair of pale gold trousers. It took longer than she’d liked to tie up her black boots, folding and stuffing the ends of her pants into them, but she got it done. The last thing she needed was her necklace. The broken dragon’s tooth, a drake’s tooth not a high dragon’s, sat on her dresser, waiting for her. She locked it around her neck and placed it over the tunic before looking into her mirror.

“They’re not gonna be here until this afternoon, you know that, right?” Bull spoke from the bed, still there from their night’s rest. Orera turned to face him only to see he still sat on the bed, naked, not even appearing to want to get ready for the day.

“I do, but I also have other responsibilities today. I have to make sure I write those letters with Josephine to make sure the rest of our allies know I’m handing the torch over to be more hands on with the rifts that still happen to open. It means we won’t be here all the time, and Anaan will finally get to travel. The only place she’s been to is Val Royeaux, and she doesn’t remember that.” Orera walked over to her side of the bed and began to pull up the blankets.

It seemed weird, ever since Anaan had been born Orera hadn’t stopped leaving on short trips. Those only usually lasted a few days, and she would come back and make sure her daughter had been taken care of. Anaan just never came with her, she just didn’t deem it safe enough for her, and there were always people willing to watch the small Vashoth for her. Taking her traveling, it just seemed right. Orera didn’t know how else she would teach more about the world if not through traveling.

“It’s not bad having a home, you know.”

“Are you saying you’re ready to settle down?” Orera raised an eyebrow and Bull laughed, swinging his legs off the bed, readying himself to get up.

“You got me. I guess that’ll work out. Maybe you could bring her on some of our missions, the less dangerous ones. After she learns how to fight.”

“She’s five, that’ll be a decade from now.” Talking about it made it seem like so long, but Anaan was already five, she was already walking and talking, and well, doing everything a child her age did. It’d been almost five years since Orera had beaten Corypheus, and the only major thing that had come to threaten Thedas had been the Freemen of the Dales, which weren’t too hard to put down. It was like the Maker finally decided to give the a break and intervene, if just to let them lick their wounds.

“She’ll probably be ready to start training around nine or ten, depending on what's goin’ on, but yeah, it’ll be a while.”

“I guess we’ll just have to call Skyhold our home.” Orera leaned back, crossing her arms with a sigh. She turned to look outside and thought back to when people were accusing her of many things, both good and bad, some true and some not. It all felt like so long ago she could hardly believe, and she almost lost herself in her thoughts when Bull responded.

“I think you did that when you decided to have a baby.” He chuckled a bit and stood from the bed, stretching as much as he could. Orera walked over to him, and with a little heat, helped him stretch a little more. He sighed and turned to her, a smile on his face, and leaned down to kiss her. She kissed him back, hands moving to grab his, mostly to keep him from grabbing her ass and pulling them closer. He still smelled of sex and she didn’t want to walk into the war room smelling like that again.

“You’re probably right. I’ll see you later, take your time.” Orera kissed him again and turned to leave, only for Bull to tap her butt playfully when she’d almost gotten out of his reach.

The main hall stood almost silent compared to just a few months ago. Soldiers had been deployed to help with rebuilding efforts in multiple places from natural disasters, and to continue to help those recover from past calamities. Nobles and other figures that had been there had been asked to leave so they could prepare for something big, though they weren’t told what. It was well known through Skyhold that a new leader had been chosen, though there were multiple rumors about why Orera was stepping down spreading amongst the people.

One of the more common rumors, one that Orera had actually been confronted with but people still talked about, was that she was having another child and wanted to focus more on being a mother than being the head of the largest power in Thedas. She’d told the servant who’d asked her about it that no, she wasn’t pregnant, and wasn’t planning on getting pregnant again. Either way, people still thought about it, and she still caught people glancing at her, almost if looking for another baby bump.

Another rumor was that Orera was leaving because of prejudice against her, that being Vashoth, or as she still nobles refer to her an ‘ox-man’, was making it hard to stay there. It coupled with rumors of the Bull’s Chargers leaving, saying that she’d be leaving with Bull to join his mercenary company. Orera found it almost outrageous for that one to be flying around. Bull had voiced his support of the Inquisition since he’d joined, and he hadn’t falters. Yes, he’d taken other jobs, but he’d also used his  people to help with construction, with transporting, searching, and so many other things. It hurt Orera more to have people think he would leave than anything else.

Either way, no one seemed to know, or want to know the real reason Orera wanted to not be Inquisitor. It had been fun,and trying, and a lot of other things, but she had a daughter now, and yes she somewhat wanted to pursue being a good mother. But that didn’t mean she was leaving, she would still need to help, she still had the Anchor. She just simply didn’t want to be in charge, the weight of all the lives, and having to make difficult decisions, it wasn’t something she wanted. But she wasn’t too sure Erethi would be ready for that either, and that was why she was staying in Skyhold, for a peaceful and helpful transition to a new leader.

Orera rounded the wall in the main hall, and walked down the corridor where the war room waited for her. Josephine and Cullen waited for her, both looking equally nervous and excited, at least as much as they could. Orera nodded to them and stopped on the opposite side of the table.

“Is there something to report?”

“Yes, Your Worship. We’ve received news from the scouts that the few soldiers that I had sent for from the camps around where Lady and Lord Lavellan had been staying. Apparently one had gotten attacked by a refugee for food before they made it to them, but they were able to fend them off with only minor wounds. It didn’t delay the trip, and the group should be here in a matter of hours,” Cullen finished summarizing his report, handing it to Orera across the table. That one of the soldiers had been attacked when they were alone sounded quite odd, but they were still people out there who thought they were nothing but a cesspool of evil, and Orera knew that would never change. And it seemed as though this refugee simply wanted to get some food, nothing more, and so she pushed the thought away.

“Anything else?”

“Yes, Inquisitor. I’ve had rooms prepared for the Lavellans next to the courtyard, near the eluvian. Lord Lavellan showed interest in his letter, though I did tell him unless he found Lady Morrigan, it would be useless to him. And… there is one more thing. We received news from one of our outposts in the Free Marches. The Dalish Clan that they are from… well they’ve all died, Your Worship.” Josephine handed Orera another stack of papers, stepping back away from the table. Orera could hardly believe what she was hearing, but the grim faces that her advisers wore told her they were telling the truth. She quickly skimmed over it and then closed her eyes, crumpling the papers in her hands.

“Erethi didn’t tell me that in her letter…. She will not want to talk about it, and I suggest that no one bring it up unless she does so. I don’t know Syrith as well as her, so I don’t know if he will avoid the subject. Either way, they’re in mourning. See to it they aren’t disturbed when they retire to their chambers tonight.” Orera sighed as she looked over the report again. Nobody was sure when the clan had been wiped out, only that it had been done by bandits, someone unorganized just looking to make some coin. There was even the possibility they’d been gone since before she’d defeated Corypheus, but Orera didn’t dwell on that.

“Yes, Inquisitor. Could I ask what your plans are until they arrive?” Josephine wrote furiously on her board, looking back up as she asked her question.

“I hadn’t quite decided yet. Anaan needs to be bathed and made ready for them, so I’ll have to do that later, but until then I am available for whatever you may need.”

“Well, we must discuss how we will make the formal announcement of you stepping down as Inquisitor. We have done nothing more than send letters to our allies saying there will be changes in the hierarchy soon, and the nobles are growing impatient. Some have tried to make plans to come here as soon as we allow to inquire about these plans.”

“Cullen, you’re dismissed. Thank you for coming.” Orera could see how Cullen had been standing, waiting for something for him to comment on. There wouldn’t be anything, Orera knew that, especially with how well Josephine was with keeping on topic when it mattered.

“Thank you, Inquisitor. We’ll talk later.” Cullen bowed his head and hurried away from the table to let them continue to talk about nobility. As it was, the conversation lasted hours, and it wasn’t until around midday that Orera was able to get away to fetch Anaan.

What she found was that Bull had already seen to her getting bathed, and the two sat on the large bed in her quarters, choosing the clothes she would wear. Orera smiled over to them, watching as Bull held up dresses and shirts on each arm for Anaan to look over them while she sat in her small-clothes in front of him. When she saw her mother she gasped and jumped off the bed, running over to hug her. Orera smiled and picked her up, kissing her cheek before walking with her back over to Bull.

“When are your friends gonna be here, mommy?”

“Any time now, so you need to get dressed.” Orera placed her back on the bed, and she stood in front of her father before picking up the violet dress. She pulled it over her head and smiled as she tried to spin around without falling.

“We match!” Anaan smiled, her teeth shining white as she looked to her mother. She put out her hands again and Orera picked her up before looking back to Bull.

“Yes we do. Is daddy ready to head down to lunch?”  As it was, Bull was taking the shirts and dresses off of his arms and putting them in a pile. He stood then and wrapped his arms around the two of them.

“I’m ready when you are.” Bull hugged them both close and didn’t spare a second before kissing Orera, which is when Anaan bean to push at their faces, making disgusted noises.

“Ew! Don’t do that!” She shrieked and Orera pulled away to kiss her on the cheek, Bull kissed her other one and the little girl laughed, the small family content where they were.

They did go downstairs after that, sitting at the table on the left side of the main hall, eating with whoever was left and happened to be there. Most of the servants and soldiers were readying for Erethi and Syrith to arrive, others were simply staying out of the way for those who had duties. That meant only a few other people sat with them, and Anaan was all too happy about that; the small Vashoth absolutely adored her parents’ friends.

“Door, do you have a second book for me?” Anaan looked to the mage across from them, and Bull couldn’t help but laugh. Orera smiled, catching the grin on Varric’s face as well.

“My name is Dorian. Surely you can say that now that you’re what, seven?” Dorian wasn’t upset, though Orera didn’t know if he was joking about not knowing how old she was. He’d been recommending history books for Orera to read to her, since those always put her to sleep, and Anaan had grown quite attached to listening on about battles and politics, even if she didn’t understand them. He’d brought a bag of books that hung off his chair, but he left them alone as he conversed with the young Vashoth.

“I’m five!” Anaan held up her fingers, showing that she knew how to count, at least until how old she was.

“What? I can’t believe that. Five year old’s definitely know how to say my name, and you don’t.”

“Door, Door, Dorian….. Door is better.” Anaan nodded as she spoke and then smiled up towards the Tevinter.

“Well, I guess you’ll have to read your daughter those fiction novels instead, Inquisitor. I’ve seemed to have lost all my books ever and can never give Anaan one again.” The amount of over dramatization kept rising, and Orera found herself laughing. The rest of the people at the table were either laughing or smiling along with her, all except Dorian. She knew he was playing though, yes Anaan was being ridiculous with the name she called him when she first learned to talk, but it was endearing.

“Doooooorian, please? See, I said it, can I have a book now? With pictures of buildings?” Anaan held her hands out and Dorian narrowed his eyes at her before sighing in defeat, another over dramatic gesture.

“I suppose your mother and father would want you to have it. So here. Don’t draw in this one like you did last time though.”

“I didn’t draw in it, I colored.” Orera covered her mouth to make her stop laughing. Anaan was almost too smart for her own good, and she could hardly believe it.

“Aren’t I glad I’m not your father. You’re going to have your hands full with this one Bull.” Dorian pulled a book out of his bag, handing it over, looking as though he was never going to see it again. Anaan quickly stood in her seat to reach over the table and get it, holding it to her chest.

“I know, I know.” Bull chuckled, and from there the small group of friends piled their plates and ate.

Not two hours after they finished eating, in the middle of the afternoon, the first of the escort arrived, followed shortly after by the people Orera had been waiting for. She stood right outside the main gate of Skyhold, on the side of the bridge closest to the castle, one hand holding her staff, the other holding Anaan’s hand. Bull stood behind her, Krem next to him. Cullen and Josephine stood beyond the gate, back in the main hall. They didn’t want to overwhelm Syrith with new faces and names, after all, he’d never been there and didn’t know what to expect.

The two elves walked across the bridge slowly, and that was when Orera noticed Erethi limping. The white haired elf, her face bearing no sign of the vallaslin she had once proudly worn, did not smile as she approached. Syrith used his staff for more support than he should have, and Orera knew something was off, something had gone wrong. The elves finally stood in front of her, the soldiers that had accompanied them walking ahead to return to their barracks for rest.

“I’m so happy to see you, Erethi. I’m glad to see you again Syrith. I hope your journey here wasn’t too hard.” Orera let go of Anaan’s hand and moved forward to embrace them. Erethi stood like stone as she hugged her, and Syrith almost fell into her arms. They were exhausted.

“There were wolves on the way up here, they got too close to our camp, so Syrith and I killed them. We… didn’t expect there to be so many.” That explained a lot. Orera nodded and took a step back, looking them over again. Dirt covered their clothing, and Erethi’s armor still had blood on it. Syrith’s robes, on the other hand, seemed to be covered in sweat more than anything.

“Well, let’s get inside. You two should rest.” Orera moved aside to let them walk towards the gates. Anaan stepped up behind her, holding onto her tunic as she watched the elves. Erethi closed her eyes and nodded before continuing on, barely whispering her thanks.

“Thank you, Inquisitor.” Something was definitely not right.

 

* * *

 

“You aren’t to bother them until they’re ready, Cullen. I know you have plans and new recruits to get dispersed through the holds, but I can’t have you speak with them until they’ve rested.” Orera sat in a chair in the war room, her feet tired from having been standing all day in the same room, arguing with her advisers. Both were adamant about getting everything settled, about getting Erethi sworn in however it was to be the new Inquisitor. Orera knew she was still healing though, she knew her friend needed more time.

“Inquisitor, it has been three weeks. The nobles in Orlais and Fereldan are growing impatient. Some have urgent matters to address. If you keep them out any longer we cannot promise there will not be repercussions.”

“And I can not promise that some of those will not be militaristic. They think we’re growing too much, and that we’re not trustworthy. Keeping them out of Skyhold is only strengthening these thoughts,” Cullen’s voice was growing louder, and Orera finally stood.

“I will speak to her tonight, and get back to you when I can. I can not promise anything other than that.” She took up her staff, leaning on it more than she would have liked, and sighed. It wasn’t like she had expected Erethi to need so much time. The council stood silent for a few minutes, and then someone knocked on the door. They all turned to see who it was, only for the elf in question to hurry in and close it behind her.

“I was told you would be here. Sorry for waking up late.” Erethi approached the table, her pale eyes a stark contrast from her oaken skin. She seemed, empty. There was no other way to put it. Orera moved aside to allow her room at the table. It took a few minutes before she started to talk, keeping her eyes glued to the worn map covering the table in front of them. “I came to tell you my decision. I know I came here to take over as Inquisitor, but I can’t. I know that’s not what you want to hear, but listen… I’ve been gone these few years, and I’ve gathered… a following of sorts. I know Leliana was your spymaster before becoming Divine, and well, I’m offering my services now. You’re currently lacking, and asking Varric for favors is probably taking more tolls on him than you know.”

The group stood silent. Orera ground her teeth, thinking about everything that she’d planned for, everything that she had been trying to get through this, and knew it was all gone. She’d have to stay on. She couldn’t just force Erethi to become Inquisitor, that was asking too much, and what the elf offered now was more than she could have asked for in return for refusing.

“How do you know that?”

“Because I talked with him while I was here before. When Leliana became Divine, I knew you would need someone to replace her, I only wish I could have come sooner.” Erethi smiled weakly, placing her palms on the table and leaning forward. Orera sighed and nodded.

“It’s fine. I can stay as well, I guess. Skyhold is the safest place for us anyway. We’ll put your people to work immediately then. Resting time is over.” Orera hated to tell her that, she could tell Erethi needed more time, but there simply wasn’t any now that they didn’t have any excuse for not contacting their allies.

“I knew that, that’s why I came.”

 

* * *

 

Later that night, when Bull had made sure Anaan was with the kids in the orphanage, Orera was in the tavern. There were others around her, all telling stories, all getting drunk, and she was happy, and not just because her head felt lighter and her hands felt hot. Everyone laughed and smiled and sang, and she sat on Bull’s lap and forgot about what she needed to do the next day. No one cared that she was staying Inquisitor, it seemed right that she would. No one cared that she was a mother, that she’d gone through more familial death than any other kind. She felt blissful, and continued to drink until Bull had to help her up the stairs to their quarters.

They fooled around, like they always did when Anaan spent the night with her friends, and Orera felt like she was flying and wished that she was. She and Bull stayed awake for hours, not saying anything, Orera just lying on top of his, listening to his heart. They fell asleep like that. But did not wake up like that.

The sheets were all tangled around her ankles and legs, she’d somehow gotten one of her horns around Bull’s in their sleep, and there were more bruises on her body than she remembered returning the day before. All of this crashed into her as she woke up with the door to her quarters slamming open.

“Inquisitor! Orera!” It was Cullen; he ran up the stairs, a lot less shy than the first time he had caught them nude, but this time his face seemed much more urgent. They got untangled before he rounded the last step, and she sat up in bed as he breathed heavily on the landing.

“What is it, Cullen?” Orera rubbed her eyes, her heart already racing at hearing him breathing so hard. Something was off, something more than the hangover that made her head hurt.  

“It’s your daughter, Anaan. She’s gone.”

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah I hope to not leave you hangin' for too long ;)
> 
> Thank you for reading!


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chase begins.

Orera blinked, staring at Cullen as he stood at the top of the staircase.

“What do you mean ‘she’s gone,’ Cullen? She’s at the orphanage.” Orera’s heart continued to race. She stood from her bed, picking up the sheet and tying it around herself. Bull swung his legs over the side. Cullen’s brow was drenched in sweat, he must have run all the way up to tell them.

“The Chantry sister, Maria?, she went to wake the children and she was gone. She said one of the children told her she’d left to go to you.”

“Fuck.” Bull stood up and pulled his pants on, shoes quickly following along with his brace. “Get dressed, I’ll go with him now.”

“No, wait for me.” Orera couldn’t move. Her daughter wasn’t gone, that was impossible. Skyhold was the safest place and nothing like what had happened to her before could happen here. Nothing. She dropped the sheet and walked over to her dresser, pulling on the first clothes she grabbed and a pair of sandals. Her hair fell behind her, free and unbound as she descended the stairs, the two men close on her tail.

The main hall stilled as they walked through, apparently already knowing what had happened. It was next to impossible to keep something away from the inhabitants of the fortress. Orera glided by them, not sparing anyone a glance as she headed towards the stairs. She leaped off the last few, running the rest of the way towards the orphanage. The several Chantry sisters that stayed on the grounds of the keep were circled up by the door. One was crying, the other two looked on the verge of tears, and it didn’t help when Orera walked up, towering over all of them.

“What happened?” They knew what she wanted, there had only been one thing to happen that could warrant her asking that. Sister Maria, the one who had been crying, turned around to face Orera and almost fell on her face.

“Your Worship! I’m so sorry! I had gone out to fetch extra blankets for the little ones, and when I came back she was gone. I thought nothing of it, one of the other children had said Anaan was going to you.” She continued to cry, wiping the tears from her eyes as she spoke. The other sisters stood firmly by her side, as though more sad about Maria being affected so than a child being stolen right out from under them.

“What other child?” Upon asking this question, Maria did fall to her knees, weeping profusely into her sleeves. One of the sisters knelt next to her, the other answered in her stead.

“Timothy Harring, Your Worship. He’s inside with the others. I do hope he can help.” She stepped aside so Orera could walk through the door. Bull followed behind her, and Cullen after him.

Only a few children were inside the building at that point. Orera didn’t bother thinking about where the others could have gone, instead she looked for a little boy. One such boy sat on the edge of his bed, tears falling from his chin, and feet swinging back and forth in front of him. Orera took short steps to him, making sure he knew she was coming as to not frighten him. Bull and Cullen stayed by the front door, watching her as she approached him. She sat back on her heels to get on eye level before even attempting to speak.

“Timothy?” Orera, as much as she wanted to know where her daughter was, knew that screaming at a child would get her nowhere. She put a small smile on her face, trying to mask the utter madness screaming just past it. The boy wiped his eyes again and then his nose with his sleeve before nodding his head.

“Yes?” He hiccuped and he continued to cry, but he was attentive, enough to where Orera didn’t feel bad about interrupting him.

“I need to know about what happened when Anaan left last night.” The mention of her name made the boy cry more, and Orera took his hand, rubbing her thumb over his palm. “It’s okay. This isn’t your fault.”

“It is! The man came in and asked where she was! He told- he told me that he was going to take her to you and that it wasn’t safe at night to go outside alone, that’s why he was there. He asked me to get her, and I didn’t- I didn’t know he would take her!” Timothy cried out, and Orera knew this boy would feel guilty about it unless they got her back. She opened her arms and Timothy fell off the bed into them, crying and clutching her shirt.

“It’s alright, we’re going to get her back. But to do that I need to know what the man looked like.” Orera let him keep crying. He eventually stopped, his eyes red and weary, his voice hoarse. He nodded and took a big breath.

“He had a big scar on his cheek, it looked like it went all the way onto his chin. He was big, but not as big as Iron Bull and you,  and he had blond hair, I can’t remember how long.” Timothy’s brow furrowed as he tried to remember more about him, but there wasn’t anything. Orera hugged him again and let him sit back up on the bed. Orera patted his head and smiled before standing up again.

“Thank you Timothy, we’ll get her back. Don’t worry.” The last part was more for her than him, but the child didn’t need to know that. Timothy nodded his head and stood back up another time, hugging Orera’s legs before stepping back. She smiled down to him and then turned towards the door, where Cullen looked absolutely floored by what had just happened. Bull nodded to Orera, and the three of them left the orphanage, heading up to the war room.

Josephine and Erethi were already waiting there, though it appeared the elf didn’t sleep well, her short white hair pointing in all directions. They both knew what had happened already, Orera could tell, and so she didn’t waste time with starting a list of what needed to be done.

“Erethi, I’m going to need your people to look for someone. A man, scar from his cheek to his chin, blonde hair. I’m sorry I don’t have more the only person that saw him was a child. Josephine, I need you to look into who might be behind this. You and Erethi should both work towards that actually. Cullen, for immediate response, get your soldiers that were on patrol last night and make sure you find out what direction he was going in. He’s hours gone now, but that doesn’t mean we can’t catch up with him.” Orera bit her lip, tears starting to well in her eyes. This wasn’t going to happen again, she wasn’t going to lose another child to a murderer. She steeled herself, placing her palms on the table. The group around her didn’t speak until Cullen announced he was going to leave right then to interrogate the soldiers that had been on patrol. Then Erethi spoke.

“Orera… that man. He was one of the soldiers that escorted Syrith and I here.” Her blood froze, and she looked to the elf, her face flustered.

“What?”

“It was the one who said he’d been attacked when he was traveling to come and get us, the only one to come alone from another outpost. He’s just a hair shorter than you, and he’s got brown eyes. I can’t believe I didn’t see this.” Erethi sighed and sat down in one of the chairs, pulling out a piece of parchment and hastily beginning to write a letter. Josephine sat down and sighed, looking up to Orera.

“When we find out who he is, I’ll make inquiries as to who could have hired him. He couldn’t be acting on this alone. He would have never gotten this far.”

“I know, that’s what scares me. There isn’t anyone that outright hates the Inquisition? Wasn’t that all put to rest already?” Orera couldn’t believe anyone would do this, but that was more thinking about how grave of a plan it was, how much it hurt not just her, but the morale of the entire Inquisition to see her like this.

“Far from it, Your Worship. We have enemies, though their voices and eyes are low. We will find who is responsible for this. I suggest you get ready to leave in pursuit whenever we hear word back from Cullen about what direction they left in.” Orera nodded, and stood straight, biting her lip to keep back the tears. If this was going to work she had to believe it would, she couldn’t give up. She turned towards the door to see that Bull wasn’t there. Her heart began pound again, and she was about to ask if they knew where he went before Erethi answered her unspoken question.

“He left with Cullen, probably to help with interrogating the soldiers. This won’t last long, we’ll get her back.” Erethi stood and walked around the table, patting her on the back. “I’ll have Syrith go with you, he should be able to help, but you really should go get ready to go.”

Orera nodded and took a large breath, reminding herself of Timothy and how broken he’d been at what had happened. She needed to get Anaan back, she didn’t know what would happen if she didn’t.

Upon walking out of the war room and towards her quarters to start getting ready to leave, she ran into Dorian. He was leaning against the wall next to her door, picking at his nails until she walked up.

“Ah, Inquisitor. I found out what happened, and I’m here to say I’ll go with you.” Dorian pushed himself off the wall, following Orera up the stairs to her quarters.

“Weren’t you going to go back to Tevinter soon?” Not that Orera wasn’t happy for his help, she needed her friends, but she’d honestly thought he’d be long gone by now, back home and with some other agenda that didn’t include the Inquisition. It wasn’t hard to forget that Dorian actually cared for Anaan, however much he teased her. He was always the one to get her the books she wanted, the long ones that Orera regretted ever mentioning because she was always the one to read her to bed.

“I said that years ago, did I not? I’m still corresponding with some of my acquaintances there, to assure everything is the way it should be when I return. That could take years, and I’ve got nothing better to do, I assure you.” The two of them rounded the steps, and Orera looked back to see the smile on his face, more genuine than she thought she’d ever seen. She smiled back and headed towards her dresser, pulling out a sack and then she began to fold clothes and put them in.

“Anyway to change to a happier topic, have you seen the new elf running around? He’s taken over Solas’s old nook, and I can’t say I’m not happy about that.” Dorian chuckled and Orera rolled her eyes, tears no longer threatening to fall. She finished packing her clothes, and after pushing in a few pairs of pants for Bull, pulled the string closed and began digging through the chest at the end of her bed, pulling out jars of poison.

“Syrith, you mean? Have you actually talked to him?” Orera couldn’t help but smirk at the idea of Dorian fawning over Syrith. She picked out a few of the darker jars, one looking to be blood and the other almost a black sludge. Dorian scrunched his nose at the stuff, but it wasn’t for him, it was for Orera and Bull. She wasn’t going to wear heavy armor when she could wear vitaar.

“I’ve tried, but it’s more me talking at him than with him. He’s good when asking about books though, I’ll give him that. A man after my own heart.” Dorian sighed, crossing his arms and legs as he leaned against the stairway railing.

“Well, good thing Erethi said he could come along. Maybe you’ll get to actually have a conversation with him then.” Everything was packed then. The vitaar had been placed in a small box, cloth stuffed between the jars so they wouldn’t break in the sack with the rest of her clothes. She tightened the rope keeping the bag closed and hefted it over her shoulder before grabbing her staff from its stand.

“Oh delightful, something will keep my eyes from getting weary, and we won’t have to put up with Bull’s puns the entire time!”

“Hey, I like his jokes,” Orera poked at Dorian as he spoke.

“I know, dear, and I feel sorry for your sense of humor.” The two left her quarters then, and Dorian left off for his own to pack his things.

Orera walked back to the war room, placing her bag near the door as she waited there. Erethi and Josephine were both back at their places, and only Orera waited for information now. She didn’t know what else to do, and so she closed her eyes, just listening to what was around her.

The wind blew violently outside and clouds rolled over Skyhold, though posing no real threat of rain. The sun was well up in the sky now, and it was by this that Orera was reminded of the headache she had from the night before. What had she been thinking? How could she let her guard down like that?

“You couldn’t have stopped it. The man, determined and cold, he wants his reward. Too long, following her and her family. Family dead, only survivor, kill her away from everyone else.” Orera’s head snapped to see Cole sitting by one of the windows, a small doll in his hands.

“What?”

“He won’t kill her, not until he’s back there.”

“Back where, Cole?”

“Back in the home that stood but where the bodies burned.” Cole stood from the sill and placed the doll there, looking to the ceiling as he walked towards the door to the main hall. “Back where a girl returned to no family.”

With that Cole left the room, leaving Orera will chills down her spine. Erethi, Cullen, and Bull all entered in after him, apparently the spirit escaped their notice, and Orera stood to meet them.

“There was a time, before dawn, where the guards change and the bridge is unmanned for maybe ten, at the most fifteen minutes. He must have made it out then.” Cullen looked over what appeared to be a schedule of the lookout, and then handed those to Orera. She looked over them and cursed. He’d stayed long enough to learn the pattern to know to strike.

“He took a cart and a horse, both are missing from the stores, and the last person to have seen him was a recruit named Bohing. She said she was stepping out of the tavern when a cart was riding out of the front gates.” Bull sighed and placed his hands on Orera’s waist, rubbing her back.

“No one knows which way he went though, I sent letters out to the closest outposts to keep an eye out for him. Hopefully he won’t be as fast as my birds,” Erethi walked towards the war table, and not really caring, lifted herself to sit on it. Orera shook her head; she knew where he was going.

“I know where he’s going. Cole… Cole must have heard his head. He’s going to my old house, in the Free Marches.” Orera sighed, crossing her arms over her chest as she thought about it. She hadn’t been back to that house in decades, and now she was being forced to return.

“Well, let’s get going. Unless he has access to a boat, it’ll take him weeks to get there, and we can be there waiting for him.” Bull pulled Orera in, hugging her before kissing her forehead. The room stayed silent as they embraced, and Orera couldn’t stop the tears. No one but Bull knew what she had gone through. She nodded her head and kissed him before pulling away. She turned to face the rest of the group.

“Alright, well, if we know where he’s going, we need to figure out who’s hired him, and who he is still. Stopping him won’t be enough unless we get who hired him. We’ll get ready to leave and be gone today. Cullen, we’re traveling light, just me, Bull, Dorian, and Syrith. Maybe one more, but we need to travel fast.” That, and Orera didn’t want anyone fussing over her, she could do that herself.

“Dorian?” Bull raised his eyebrow and Orera nodded.

“He offered to come while I packed our things. He cares about Anaan too. I’m willing to take his help. We’re friends, you know that.”

“Yeah, but I’m gonna be stuck with three mages now.” And there was Bull, trying to make her feel better, trying to lighten the mood that weighed like a mountain on top of all of them. She elbowed him in the ribs and he smiled.

“Let’s get out of here.”

 

* * *

 

The small group, set out just before dinner, the four of them with large steeds that could carry more than them. Orera’s held her and Bull’s belongings while Bull’s held their tent. Dorian and Syrith’s steeds both carried their items. The elf had stayed silent the first part of the trip, and part of Orera was still confused as to why Erethi insist he come along with them. Dorian had made up for his absence in any conversation, that was, until after dinner and they were on the road again, Orera holding a veilfire torch to light their way in the dark.

“Orera… I hate to ask, but what happened at your house in the Free Marches?” The elf’s voice had been quiet, almost enough so that Orera didn’t hear. She hadn’t thought back to it a lot, she hadn’t been back to the Free Marches since before the Conclave, and well, even longer than she’d seen the house she’d lived in as a child.

They slowed the pace, looking more for a place to camp for the night, and Orera stayed silent until they started to set up camp on the edge of a forest just off the road to Jader. Their tents all faced each other’s and Orera sat on the ground outside hers, drinking from her water-skin.

“I was born there, and lived there until I was thirteen. I had a younger brother… named Aslen, he was killed nearby one day. We just found his body in a ditch. He was what, ten? I was twelve. I had never really thought about being so different since we didn’t go into town often. But a year after that I think? I was coming home from harvesting some herbs for my dad, and smoke was coming out of the chimney. It was summer, and I was confused because we only lit fires outside for cooking during the summer. I got closer to the house, and I saw these men running away from it, with big bags in their hands filled with things. I… I went inside and my parents were in the fireplace.”

She took a large breath. Orera hadn’t actually had the time in the past couple years to think too heavily on the fact that everyone in her family, before Bull and Anaan, were dead. It was almost as if they hadn’t existed, that she’d come out of nowhere to help stop an aspiring darkspawn magister. She stood from where she was sitting and stretched her arms, thinking back to what had happened. The amount of smoke that had been coming out of the chimney had been too much for cooking, she remembers that; that and the smell of burning flesh. No one else said anything until Bull stood up, stifling a yawn, acting like it wasn't that big of a deal, always the one to try and mull emotions to make everything better, at least with Orera.

“Well, we should sleep, gotta get up early to get to Jader before the week is out.” Bull stretched his arms and turned back towards the tent, waving to the others before walking in. Orera sighed and stood up as well, rubbing her eyes with her hands before looking to the other mages.

“You know, I understand. My parents lived in an alienage in a town outside Tantervale, and it was purged while I studied with the Dalish.” Syrith spoke up, though quite not as sad as the topic would assume. Orera found that interesting, his need to make it known he understood the situation, that he understood what it meant to lose family permanently. Orera began to understand why Erethi had wanted him to come along.

“I wondered why you didn’t have the, what are they called again?” Dorian asked, gesturing to his face. Orera smirked and bit back the small tears waiting to spill over.

“They’re called vallaslin, and I was denied them by the Keeper, otherwise I would have them.”

“Fascinating, I think we should continue this shared history of ourselves on our journey tomorrow.” Dorian smiled, standing as well and placing a hand on Syrith’s shoulder. The elf grew instantly nervous and rose as well, Dorian’s hand falling back to his side.

“I’ll see you two tomorrow, sleep well.” Orera managed a smile before turning to her tent, opening the flap and letting it close behind her.

Bull was already lying down, his eye closed and the blankets pushed to the side of the small mat. Orera undressed, taking her sweat stained clothes off and placing them in the corner with Bull’s. As soon as she laid down he wrapped his arm around her and pulled her in.

“I love you, kadan. Never forget that.”

“I love you, too.” And now was the time Orera couldn’t keep back the tears, the salt water trickling down her face and chin and falling in the small space between them.

“And we will get her back, don’t worry.” Bull seemed so certain about that, Orera wished she could feel the same before she fell into a dreamless slumber.

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, I'm getting really excited about this, and I hope you are too! Thank you for reading!


	8. Chapter 8

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The group begins to warm up to one another as they travel, since there really isn't anything else to do.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter is a little bit slower, mostly because they're traveling, but I hope the dialogue is fun to read :)

Orera woke up to the sound of feet approaching the camp. She shot up from the ground, and after pulling her shirt on, dashed out of the tent, ready to fire at whatever was coming close. What she didn’t expect was for Syrith to be walking back into camp, his arms filled with Elfroot. Bull placed his hand on her waist, poking his head out to see what had happened. Syrith smiled and tried to wave, but stopped when he almost dropped his bundle.

“How long have you been up?” Orera rubbed her eyes, not really understanding what Syrith had been doing. He should have been sleeping, they had another long  day ahead of them after all.

“I woke up early this morning and decided to go and see if there were any herbs around but all I could find was Elfroot. I did manage to score Royal Elfroot though! I’m going to separate it so we can use it when we really need it.” Syrith then ducked into his tent, leaving the small area between their tents. Orera shook her head and pushed Bull back into the tent, stifling a yawn before she began to pack their things.

Dorian was the last to wake, and Orera wasn’t particularly surprised, the rest of them had risen early. Either way it meant that he was rushed into his clothes and his tent was taken down for him. They ate their small packed breakfast on horseback, which Syrith seemed quite fine with. Not only was he eating on horseback, but he was reading from a small book as well. It fit right in his hand, so it wasn’t hard to hold, but Orera wondered how he could keep such focus on it with the horse under him constantly moving. It didn’t seem to give him a problem though, and his riding skills weren’t hindered by it.

Around mid morning, after they’d all eaten their rations, Syrith began to speak up again.

“Dorian, you said we could continue the conversation we started last night.” The elf turned his head slightly towards the other mage before returning to looking forward and at his book. Dorian blinked a few times before nodding, apparently having forgotten about what he said the night before.

“I did, and where would you like that to go? I believe we were talking about your vallaslin. That is correct, yes?”

“Yes. Though, you… you don’t pronounce it quite correctly,” Syrith paused, and Orera could see his shoulders trembling. Was he laughing? “I said I hadn’t gotten mine because the Keeper had kept me from them, but it was more than me just not being worthy. I wasn’t born Dalish. I was born in the alienage, the one I told you about. I lived there until I grew into my magic, then I joined the Dalish.”

“Tantervale? That’s awfully close to the border with the Imperium.” Orera started to understand what might have happened. She’d lived close to there after all, but when she’d left, her whole family had come with her.

“That’s why we were there. My parents… escaped the Imperium. They couldn’t flee very far, my mother was pregnant with me at the time. And she grew ill after giving birth. She couldn’t leave the alienage outside Tantervale after she had me.” Syrith closed the book in his hands, pushing it into his pocket, taking full hold of the reins. He didn’t change his pace, it more looked as though he just needed something to hold. Orera couldn’t believe what she was hearing. Syrith was here, the free elven child of Tevinter slaves, and they’d brought along an altus from Tevinter, the upper basically ruling class. She couldn’t feel more stupid.

“I’m so sorry.” Though she had been thinking it, Dorian was the first one to speak, to apologize for something he could have had no hand in.

“Don’t be. They escaped after all. My parents were very happy in the alienage, and no one ever came looking for them. It just means that my first language is Tevene since they couldn’t speak Common until I grew up.” Syrith made light of it though. He didn’t seem disturbed, maybe just hurt at the fact that his parents hadn’t gotten to experience their freedom until they were older. Either way, he didn’t seem to mind that much that his parents had been enslaved.

“Wait, you speak Tevene?” Orera could practically feel the excitement in Dorian’s voice, though she knew anyone would be excited to find someone who spoke their native tongue. She was happy when she spoke Qunlat with Bull, it’d been another way to bond.

“I’m a bit rusty. It’s been awhile since I’ve talked to anyone who did.”

“So we’ve really got two Vints with us.” Bull groaned, but Orera looked over to see a small smile on his face. He was obviously happy that the elf was able to build some sort of bond with them.

“Not only that, Bull, but two Tevinter mages.” Dorian laughed, and Orera could see the smile growing on Syrith’s face.

“I’m not really Tevinter, I wasn’t born there. I’m more Dalish than anything since I spent most of my time with the Lavellan clan. I learned my magic through them.”

“Well, I’m sure Dorian wouldn’t mind teaching you a few things about how they study magic in Tevinter. You were poking around those ruins in the Western Approach at one point, right?” Orera leaned back in her saddle, glad with how the conversation was turning out, glad that Syrith was being included. It was probably good of him to come, not just to offer support for Orera, but to get support for himself in his endeavours.

“Yeah, and I almost got killed by a varghest. The Inquisition soldiers nearby saved me. I knew Erethi had joined up, she’d sent me letters somehow, but I never really thought I’d actually meet them? I tried to stay hidden.”

“As an elven apostate with no loyalties, that was probably smart. As for what I can teach you in ways of magic, that might be more interesting than studying those ruins.” Dorian laughed and winked in Syrith’s direction. The elf blinked before turning to look back towards the road.

“And how would you know that?” He asked, still not looking back at them.

“You didn’t know? We’ve been all over Fereldan and Orlais. We spent quite a bit of time in the Western Approach. We stopped some Venatori there.” Orera thought it was common knowledge that she’d traveled around the southern half of Thedas, that was how all the holds got captured after all. She did have to give him an excuse though, he tried to stay hidden, and like the miner in the Forbidden Oasis, he had cut himself off from the world. Orera looked over as Bull pulled his horse closer to her’s, a smile on his face.

“Don’t forget the dragon we baited and killed. Pretty sure that’s when I fell in love with you.” He bumped his horn against her’s and she pushed at him, moving her horse away, unable to hide her smile.

“You mean the dragon that almost killed me?” Dorian scoffed.

“Yup, and exactly for that reason I knew there was something special about you, kadan.”

“Yes, exactly for that reason. The thing almost chopped off your head too, Bull.” Orera couldn’t believe what he was saying. Well, more like she couldn’t believe how he was playing off the fact he almost died. She pulled her reins and caught up to Syrith who’d fallen quiet.

“I know, and it was awesome,” Bull laughed, and Orera turned back only to flip him off before returning to the elf.

“Anyway, we have a lot of books in the library, and I’m sure Dorian could point you towards the ones about magic when we get back if he hasn’t already.”

“Oh, he’s helped me tremendously. We’ve talked about some of our theories already and he keeps talking about the library back in the Circle he spent time at in Tevinter. I can’t remember which one, but I wish I could go and see it.” Syrith sighed, hunching over the bundle of elfroot in his lap.

“Why can’t you?” Orera didn’t think, she didn’t think about what she’d said and she covered her mouth before she could say anything else. “I’m sorry. I just.. forgot. Maybe someday. Dorian has a plan to go and work Tevinter’s ass into shape.”

How could she forget that the Imperium kept elves as slaves? He’d just told them his parents had escaped from the very place he wanted to go. Orera fell back next to Bull, letting Dorian take her place. What she didn’t expect from doing that was for Dorian to start speaking Tevene. She blinked a few times, finally understanding that she didn’t understand what he was saying, but as soon as Dorian did start speaking Tevene Syrith’s ears perked up. He replied, speaking faster than Orera thought he’d be able to if he really was ‘rusty.’ The smiles that spread on the two mages faces made her content to leave them alone. They could speak about what they wanted to. But apparently Bull thought the same thing about them, mumbling something in Qunlat to her.

“You think they’re planning to kill us?” The joking tone he put forth made Orera roll her eyes before nodding, trying her best to look serious.

“What else could they be doing? Talking in their shared language? Bonding over something no one else in the Inquisition has?” It was hard to convey sarcasm in Qunlat, something that Orera liked about the Common was that it was easy to convey all emotions. Hopefully Bull understood she was joking though.

The rest of the day went just as the first part had. The three mages talked about some obscure theories including alteration magic and things that could be done without blood magic, though Syrith didn’t like leaving that out. They talked about their childhood, and there were times of silence as they all thought about what the others had gone through. The group didn’t lack anything in the department of sadness, but they were able to lighten the mood as well, talking about how Bull had gotten vitaar in his eye not a month ago when he’d gone out to do some scouting around Skyhold. Anaan had been helping him and had insisted she do his face, only to accidentally get the poison paint in his only eye. Orera had thankfully been keeping a close eye and had helped to heal him and get the poison out before Bull went completely blind.

Syrith told of when he had been going into one of the town nearest their camp with Erethi, and how they’d successfully stolen not one, but four pies from a bakery using just a piece of cloth and a stick. He seemed quite proud about it, explaining how he’d used his magic to lift the pies out the window as they cooled. They weren’t caught, and they brought them back to share with the other children of the clan, not wanting the adults to know so they wouldn’t have to return them. He also told of when he’d been waiting for Erethi to come back from her hunting trip that would prove her ready for her vallaslin, and told of how she was different when she returned. He paused when talking about that, as though not sure if the change was for better or worse. It didn’t seem to matter, because he moved with his stories from there.

Bull told stories about some of the jobs he’d taken, including the one about baiting a giant. Orera loved to listen to that one, thinking about how dumb humans could be sometimes in their competitions. He told a few others she hadn’t heard yet, one involving wyverns and other such creatures. The amount of times he seemed to be hired as an exterminator seemed ridiculous, but she agreed with him on the fact that he could always get it done when it was just a simple kill job. Bull’s stories were what let them  to their campground for the night, and this time, when they sat down around the campfire the talk flowed from each of them as easy as breathing. Dorian would sometimes whisper things in Tevene to Syrith, who would burst out laughing, so it was hard for him to make any jokes without Orera and Bull asking what he’d said.

The day ended like that, with all of them laughed out and tired from a full day of riding. Syrith retired first, saying goodnight to everyone, mumbling about how he shouldn’t have gotten up so early. Dorian left not soon after him, watching him leave and stifling a yawn. Orera waved to both of them before she stood up herself, stretching to relax all her muscles. Sleep was calling to her, and so she decided to retire as well, putting the fire out and taking Bull’s hand before walking into the tent.

The next morning they all got up early, knowing that they’d reach Jader before noon if they did, meaning they’d be on their boat and on their way to Cumberland. Again, they ate breakfast on horseback, not speaking as much. Dorian still seemed to be waking up by the time they actually did make it into Jader. Thankfully the Inquisition had set up  small base outside of the town. They had soldiers barracks and a stable, and Orera had already made plans to leave her horse there. They stopped by the barracks and they all dropped off their steeds, Orera moving her things onto her back, holding her staff in her hand. the rest of them only took what they could carry as well. This meant that they were only going to have two tents from now on, since Dorian decided he would carry rations and supplies instead of his tent.

The docks were bustling; fishermen went this way and that, more than a few of them carrying large nets filled with fish squirming. The workers were getting their boats tied in, making sure all the boats were tied ashore safely. The boat that was to carry them across the Waking Sea sat at the end of the dock. The name Starburst was emblazoned on the side, shining almost if new. It was large enough for several people to sleep in the hull, but only a few along with the crewmen. Orera approached the man she thought to be the captain, only to be pointed towards the Captain’s quarters where the captain was actually waiting.

They all entered the small room, Orera the only one approaching the woman who wrote quickly at her desk.

“Hello, Inquisitor. Captain Larcia Movarin. I’ve been getting the ship ready for her ride over the Waking Sea. We’ll have to be careful, there’s a storm coming in tonight. You’ll see that your quarters are the first doors below deck. You’ve been doubled up though, those two.” Captain Movarin gestured towards Syrith and Dorian, and Orera nodded. That was how their sleeping situation would be until they returned to Orlais. “We’ll raise anchor in just an hour, so be ready with everything you need from the mainland before then.”

“Thank you, Captain Movarin, for taking me to Cumberland on such short notice. I understand you were originally heading back to Antiva, and I’m sad to delay you your homecoming.” Orera held out her hand and Larcia took it, shaking it firmly.

“Don’t be sorry. Your Inquisition saved me from that rift on the Storm Coast not two years back. I doubt you’d remember me.”

“That was you? Your hair was much longer then.” Orera began to remember back to that particular rift. It had been one of the few journeys she hadn’t taken Anaan on. It was a simple matter really, the rift had been easy to close, but the pride demon that had come out of it had been harder to put down.

“I had it cut when part of it got burned off. It wasn’t a pretty sight. Anyway,  I have to make sure the decks ready to leave port. Join me in the dining room at dinner, will you?”

“I will. It was a pleasure meeting you again.” Orera smiled and shook Larcia’s hand, leaving her quarters and heading towards where the nearest sailor told her was the stairs to the lower deck. She saw that the doors to the rooms they were to take were open, as if waiting for them. Bunk-beds sat in each room, meaning Orera and Bull definitely wouldn’t be able to share a bed until they were back on land. They set down their things, and Orera rested her staff against the side opposite the door. Bull sat on the bottom bunk, leaning forward so his horns wouldn’t hit the top.

“You alright, kadan?”

“I’m fine. Better than yesterday. We’ll get there before he does, we’ll get her back, just like you said.” It felt empty, saying those words. It didn’t feel like the truth, it just felt like a play, like something she would show herself in her mind to placate her. She didn’t want to talk about it though, so she stayed with her words. Yes, Bull would know she was lying, but he would also know she didn’t want to talk about it.

“Well, it won’t take that long from Cumberland to get there. A week tops maybe? It’ll take him another two if he couldn’t get a boat.”

“Yeah.” Orera sat down next to him, biting her lip. There really wasn’t a way for him to get there before them without taking a boat, and Orera was certain he hadn’t. At least he hadn’t in Jader. The only thing they needed to do for now though was wait for the boat to cross the sea, then they could worry about how long it took them to get to her old house.


	9. Chapter 9

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Into Cumberland and the Free Marches, and more than one revelation is made.

It didn’t take long for the group to get settled. If anything the thing that took the longest was finding a dry place for Syrith to hang the Elfroot he’d harvested. He ended up just stringing them up in the room he was sharing with Dorian putting a small barrier around them to make sure that water from the wind and rain that had started to blow outside didn’t drip down below deck.

After they were settled though they waited. They didn’t have anything else to do in port so they stayed until the ship raised anchor and set off into the Waking Sea. Orera had told them all though she knew they could probably guess at it as well, that going above deck while they took care of all the preparation the ship would need would be distracting. Seeing the Inquisitor was definitely something the sailors would have never dreamed of doing and to distract them would keep her from her own goal. That meant they all stayed below deck in their rooms, not even searching around for the dining hall where they would be meeting the Captain for dinner. It also meant it was the time for Syrith to tell them all that he’d never been on a ship before and was getting progressively more nauseous.

“How have you never been on a boat?” Orera kept her hand on Syrith’s neck, sending cool waves to help him stop sweating. Syrith just continued to vomit into the bucket they’d gotten him, not able to answer. When he finally let up, face pale and sickly, he coughed.

“I just walked everywhere. I didn’t have a need to take a boat.” And of course the extra rocking the boat was getting from the oncoming storm didn’t help. He seemed about emptied though, and pushed the bucket away. Orera picked it up and let Dorian take her place helping him recover, his hand going to the back of Syrith’s neck.

“I’ll go dump this. I’ll be right back.” Orera left the small room, passing by Bull who waited in the door frame. The sailors that were above deck had everything in their hands,, as though navigating through a violent storm was something they were used to. She wouldn’t doubt it, the Waking Sea always had storms ravaging the surface. She dumped the bucket over the side of ship and washed it out with some of the sea water before purging it of salt water with her magic. She returned below deck to find Bull laughing and Syrith’s face a deep red. She blinked and looked to all of them before landing her eyes on Dorian, the only one who looked guilty.

“What happened?”

“Dorian wasn’t ready-” Bull tried to talk through his laughter but Dorian cut him off, causing him to laugh more.

“How was I to be ready for a comment like that? I didn’t mean to burn you neck Syrith. One of us just doesn’t have any manners.” Syrith nodded, accepting the apology as he pressed his own hand to his neck.

“Bull, what did you say?”

“Nothing they shouldn’t have expected. I mean, with Dorian holding his neck like that it looked like he was going to take a bite out of it.”

“Bull!” Orera slapped his arm before looking back to Syrith, kneeling down to see him better. “Are you okay?”

“Yes. Dorian accidentally burned me when Bull uh, spoke. It’s fine though. I’ve got plenty of elfroot to help.” Syrith tried to laugh and Orera sighed, standing back up.

“Well, we’ve got to go see the Captain for dinner soon, so calm down and we won’t speak like that at the table.” Orera left the room, slapping Bull’s arm again at seeing his smirk. He was still trying to hold in laughter. She walked into their room and changed out of her coat, pulling a scarf from out of the bag she’d brought and tying it around her waist. She was going to try and look somewhat presentable to the Captain and not completely covered in dirt and sweat.

When they finally sat down with the Captain Orera knew she didn’t have to go through the trouble with looking nice. It seemed that the rest of the crew, including Larcia, were covered in saltwater and sweat, drenched from the rain outside. She would have looked like a part of the crew if she hadn’t decided to change. The Captain sat in the middle of a large table, one of the three that they had for all of the sailors. Orera and the rest of the group sat around her and they all dug into their food first before anyone started conversing. It seemed that being a ship really built up an appetite, not that Orera would have been able to tell with how Bull ate.

“So, all I really know from what Lady Lavellan told me is that you need passage to Cumberland. Nothing else. Care to fill me in?” Larcia wiped her mouth with a napkin, one of the only sailors seeming to do so. Orera swallowed her bite and took a drink from the cup they’d given her. She could feel Bull’s eyes on her, though she knew he didn’t give away that he was paying too much attention.

“There’s someone on the run that I needed to go after personally. He…. He took something very important to me.”

“And you know he’s going to Cumberland?”

“No, he’s going into the Free Marches, and Cumberland is the closest port to where he’ll be going.”

“Ah, so you’ll be traveling on land after that, I see. Well, I hope you’re able to get it back. Though I have to ask, what is so important that the Inquisitor herself has to go after it?” Larcia continued to eat as she waited for Orera to answer her question. She didn’t know how to answer though. People all across Thedas probably knew by now that her daughter had been stolen right out from under her; well, if not all of Thedas at least the nobles in Fereldan and Orlais. And Larcia wasn’t trying to get into her, she wasn’t trying to probe; Orera knew her intent to be true, she cared.

“My daughter… He kidnapped my daughter.” And as soon as she spoke, the dining hall went silent. She cursed under her breath and sighed. She hadn’t thought that the other sailors would be listening in to the conversation, but here she was, in the middle of the dining hall with all of them hanging off her tongue.

“Inquisitor. I’m so sorry. I know… I know what it’s like to lose a child.” Larcia stopped eating, pushing herself back in her chair, sitting straight to face her. Orera bit her lip and nodded. She had been trying to not cry while in the presence of others, but here she was, tears falling down her face yet again.

“Anyway, I think the other sailors here are done. Get back to work! Your Worship, if you need anything, I’ll be in my quarters. I do hope you can get her back. If anyone can do this, you can.” Larcia stood from the table then, and after putting her hat back on she bowed and left to go above deck. Orera sighed, pushing her plate and cup away, all appetite gone. The only thing Orera wanted at this point was for the boat ride to be over, but they had two more days of this.

The second day the storm was in full swing. The boat rocked twice as hard as it had the day before, and Syrith didn’t leave his cabin, vomiting the entire time. Dorian stayed with him, and Orera didn’t let Bull anywhere near them. She liked staying in her room as well, not bothering anyone, and no one bothering her. It made things easier, to just wait the day out. She didn’t have anything to do really, not having been prepared for be in the boat for so long, but she was able to scrounge up some paper and a pen to write a letter back to Erethi and the others.

She wrote about the boat ride, about how Syrith had really opened up, and how sick he was on the ship. There wasn’t a lot to write about, but she tried to include everything that had happened, just so they all knew she was doing alright. At least it helped her believe she was doing fine, the truth couldn’t be more different. With each passing hour she felt hope drain from her, as though whoever had taken Anaan could travel at unknowable speeds and reach the destination before she could even think to get there. All in all, the letter was more for her to pass the time than anything else, she wasn’t even sure she would end up sending it when they finally got back on land.

The third and final day, the sea stood calm, and they passed right through it. Syrith rested, tired of vomiting and everything else to do with boats. Orera sat above deck, just watching the calm waves roll by. She could see the coast by the time lunch rolled around, and knew that she’d be back on land in at least an hour. When she went to tell Syrith, he couldn’t be happier.

When they finally did land, and they dropped anchor and everything had been set aside for them to depart from the boat, Larcia stopped them.

“I know you’ll get him, Inquisitor. Me and my crew believe in you.” Larcia removed her hat and bowed again. Orera returned the gesture and departed from the boat, fixing the bag on her shoulder as she did.

Cumberland was everything that Orera had thought it would been. Being in Nevarra was definitely something to behold. The cobblestone roads were bustling with people dressed in every which way she could imagine. There were seemingly hundreds of other boats lined along the docks, all moving shipments and equipment off of boats. It was almost too much to take in. Orera steadied herself and guided the others towards where she hoped the main road would be.

Numerous buildings rose above them as they walked the streets, and no one in particular seemed to recognize her, which made the trip all the better. The only thing she seemed to be getting were looks from others who couldn’t seem to believe Tal-Vashoth were traveling with an elf. What got them even more looks were the staves on their backs. Not only were they an odd group, but the majority of them mages. It began to make Orera feel uneasy, and she wished they could get out of there as soon as possible.

“Orera,  I can’t keep walking. I need to rest.” Syrith leaned against one of the nearby building walls, his face still pale from the ship. Orera glanced at him and sighed.

“We can find an inn for tonight, but only one room. I didn’t bring that many sovereigns with me.” Truthfully, Orera had thought she’d bought too much, but only at the insistence of Erethi and Josephine, who had told her that it was never a bad idea to bring money. She had enough for food, she knew that.

They began then to look for an inn, which wasn’t hard that close to the ports. They stopped at a place that Bull had apparently been to before, though the reason why made Orera a little more than unhappy. Apparently the place had been where he’d woken up after he’d been knocked out once. He said that the workers there were kind and they could keep secrets and tell them too depending, so it would be a good place to start looking for news of whoever they were following.

Orera got one room for all of them, telling Dorian and Syrith they could sleep on the beds. She was more than fine with the ground, and Bull would take the couch. Syrith needed to rest the most. As soon as they were given the key to the room, they headed upstairs. The room was nice, and had small two beds, and now that Orera saw it she knew she wouldn’t be able to even fit on one of them. Syrith immediately let his things fall to the ground, falling onto one of the mattresses and taking a deep breath.

“I’m sorry, I’m just sick.” Syrith rolled over to be on his back, closing his eyes and folding his hands over his stomach. He looked the part, and Orera couldn’t believe he’d even been able to walk to the inn. Dorian placed his things on the other bed, tired as well, though he didn’t lie down.

“I’ll watch him while you two go and fetch dinner. If he rests now we’ll be able to leave early tomorrow.” Dorian stretched and nodded, and Orera could see how the trip was wearing on all of them. Too much emotion was being forced down into them, and she knew that was her fault. That coupled with sea sickness and exhaustion, well, they were bound to need to rest at some point.

Iron Bull and Orera left then, in search of somewhere to buy some food. There were a number of places that dotted the street the inn was on, as though they were prepared for travelers and their need to eat. They ended up buying some bread and cheese, something bland to help sooth upset stomachs. Bull insisted on getting some alcohol, wanting to just loosen a bit before going to bed that night. Orera caved and bought enough for both of them plus some if Dorian and Syrith wanted to join in a drink before sleeping.

Upon arriving back at the room though the two were already fast asleep. It didn’t take much to convince Bull that they should do the same, and after a few drinks, the two fell asleep sitting up on the couch.

 

* * *

 

Early the next morning, with Syrith nursing the last bottle of alcohol in his arms, the group headed out of the northern exit of Cumberland, veering towards the Imperial Highway. They stayed to the side of the road, making way for carts and those on horseback. They tried to not look too suspicious, but that was hard with who they were. Some of the nobles they passed took seconds glances at Bull, and Orera figured he might have done jobs for them once upon a time. But other than that no one spared them any time.

Syrith and Dorian shared the last of the alcohol, Orera warning them not to get too drunk as they walked. They had a long road ahead of them, and she wouldn’t let them slow the group down just because they’d fallen asleep early last night and hadn’t gotten their share. Dorian seemed to be able to take his alcohol far better than Syrith, who, when the bottle had been finished and disposed off, continued to smile at everything, walking around all of them at different paces.

“Tell me where this house is supposed to be again.” Dorian had asked several times now where the house was. He seemed to be offended with how much they were going to walk on foot. He had asked before they left if they truly were not going to get horses, and when Orera had replied that they weren’t, he seemed deeply saddened.

“It’s south of Hasmal and Tantervale. It’s not too close to them. I wouldn’t be able to point it out on the map because it’s in the middle of nowhere, but we should be able to see it if we just head to Tantervale and from there head south.”

“And how long will that take us?”

“Another week or so, depending on the weather and how far we go each day. If we go until past sunset and leave before sunrise it shouldn’t take longer than a week.” At least that was what Orera hoped. If the man had taken a boat there was no way they were going to get there before him. He had a horse, which meant he could travel exponentially faster, though Orera hoped that the cart he also took would slow him down.

“The alienage… The alienage I lived in was between those two towns, but it was north.” Syrith pointed above his head, as though signifying his perception of north. Orera sighed and nodded. He obviously couldn’t handle his liquor.

“So even closer to the Imperium border,” Dorian mused. Though not as drunk as Syrith, Dorian definitely wasn’t sober. He relied on his staff to walk, as did Syrith, though the elf seemed to be twirling his around too much to be using it for support.

“Why’d we let them have the rest of it this morning? We should have saved it for tonight.” Bull groaned, probably sad that he was sober after drinking as much as he did last night.

“We needed to get rid of it, and I’m sure after last night those two needed it.”

“What do you mean?”

“What? We both got drunk, it was only fair to let them.”

“Excuse me, but I am not drunk. I am merely inebriated.” Dorian stopped their conversation, as though to make a point. He pointed at both of them and nodded his head before continuing to walk.

“That means drunk, Dorian.” Bull laughed and Dorian scoffed before thinking it over and nodding.

“So it does.”

 

* * *

 

“When are we going to stop? Orera, it’s pouring!” Syrith was holding the tent he and Dorian were to share over them both. Orera didn’t mind the rain coming down while Bull kept a hand over his good eye to be able to see in the dark.

“Soon, I promise. I just want to find a good spot off the side of the road. We’re heading into the country tomorrow. We should get there before sunset.” She could barely here the two groan under the weight of their tent, and she knew she was pushing them. They’d been walking over fifteen hours that day, and even her legs were beginning to grow tired.

Not far off she could see a small cluster of trees, and she signaled for everyone to follow her. They made it into the small grove, the tree cover making it almost completely dry. It didn’t take long to set up tents, and no one was interested in setting a fire, just sleeping. Dorian and Syrith moved into theirs almost as soon as it was up, saying goodnight and leaving them to their own tent. Bull seemed equally as tired, and Orera let him into the tent first, placing wards around the campsite and around the grove.

On her way back to the tent, as she’d gone outside the small cluster of trees to set wards, she heard something rather odd. As she neared the campsite she could hear heavy breathing coming from within. When she finally got close to the tents the breathing stopped, or at least what she could hear. She shrugged her shoulders and went into the tent she shared with Bull, content to fall straight to sleep.

The next morning, Orera woke to the sun shining through the trees, and she cursed. She’d slept in, and they wouldn’t get to the house by nightfall now. She hurriedly jumped out of bed, pulling her other clothes on. She threw another pair of pants at Bull and moved outside the tent. If she hadn’t woken up when she needed to, Dorian and Syrith certainly wouldn’t have. She walked over to the other tent, ready to wake them up until she opened the flap to see the elf and human naked, limbs tangled. Orera whipped her head around to face outside the tent and blinked a few times. That was definitely not something she wanted to see.

“Dorian! Syrith! Get up and get some clothes on, it’s past sunrise!” She shook her head before going back to help Bull take down their own tent and pack it up. The other two members of the group got up and dressed faster than Orera would have thought possible, though she knew with the inclusion of  “get some clothes on” that they knew she’d seen them. They packed their tent as well, and Orera couldn’t help but notice that the tips of Syrith’s ears were incredibly red, Dorian’s almost matching the same shade.

They finally got on the road, and no one was talking. They were still all tired, Orera knew that, so she excused it. At least she did until around noon when they paused to sit for lunch.

“I don’t know why you’re so embarrassed about what happened. I don’t care, you know that, right?”

“It’s uh-” Syrith obviously couldn’t speak. He stopped mid-sentence and stuffed his face with his food. His face had grown a shade darker with her bringing up the topic. Dorian seemed to want to try next.

“I’m not embarrassed. Just tired is all.”

“Well after what we heard last night that’s not surprising.” Bull chuckled and Orera elbowed him before looking back to the other two.

“Bull! Whatever, you can tell us whatever you want when you want to. We just need to get to this house before the day is out.” Orera honestly didn’t care what they were doing. It was just, surprising, and not something she anticipated. It made sense though, they had similarities that they hadn’t found in another person in a while, and that could help. They both seemed to need someone anyway. Orera let it slip into the back of her mind, she had to focus on other things. She only hoped she didn’t have to wait too long until the man got there, otherwise she didn’t know what she would do. She shook her head and continued to walk through the country, knowing what waited for her at the end of the trail.

  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ah, this story is nearing the end, but also the more exciting parts. Traveling is never fun :P


	10. Chapter 10

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Anaan, Anaan. If only it felt like that.

Twilight came upon the group, and Orera knew they would approach the house any moment now. The fact that she couldn’t see it though was troubling. She walked ahead of everyone else, trying in vain to see it over the horizon as the light from the sun dropped an dimmed. She summoned veilfire to rest above her head so she could walk safely and still search for one of the oldest parts of her past. Still nothing came into view. 

They walked for hours more, and Orera knew the others were tired. She could practically feel the ache in Bull’s ankles and the pain in Dorian and Syrith’s feet. She felt it herself, like stepping on rocks barefoot. But she couldn’t stop. She needed to get there tonight. 

“Kadan.” This was the first time Bull had actually walked up to her, actually caught up with her in their long journey just to stop her. She stopped only when she felt his hand on her shoulder. Tears had been threatening to fall and they finally did as he kept speaking. “We should make camp for the night. We’ll get there early tomorrow, when there’s sun.”

“I swear it’s just over that hill, Bull. Please, can we just cross it? We can make camp on the other side or even the top if it’s not there.” The absolute need Orera had to find the house before she went to sleep felt like a stabbing pain, a knife pushing into her side and twisting all the way, not being careful enough to miss her lungs. The possibility that the man had gotten there before her, and that she would only see a pile of rubble again, it was too much, she couldn’t live with herself if that was what she came to find. 

Bull looked over her face, and nodded, and Orera thanked him. She needed this, he knew it too. He knew everything. 

Orera turned back around and continued toward the hill, faster now that she knew that whatever she found they would stop. As she crested the hill she closed her eyes, trying to keep her breathing even. She hadn’t been in the Free Marches for so long she’d lost all memory of the landscape, especially that around the house she’d been born in. She held her staff with both hands and took a deep breath before opening her eyes. There, in a small secluded spot with only a few trees keeping it hidden from the moonlight, stood a house. The house she’d been looking for. 

“It’s here!” Her voice cracked, and tears flowed freely from her eyes as she ran the rest of the way down the hill, leaving the other behind her. The house stood alone, sloping almost as if even the beams that held it up were aged and weary. Ivy and vines overtook the walls, bleeding in and out through the broken windows. The door stood askew, one hinge still holding it up, though with how much rust it must have collected Orera didn’t think for long. The small fence they’d built around to encase the herbs they grew there was falling apart as well, the plants they’d harvested overgrown and bulging with fruits and leaves. The dirt path she’d worn in as a child, running into and out of the house, was nowhere to be found, grass fresh and green grew around the entire grove, stating that the place had been untouched for years, exactly how Orera hoped she would find it. 

“It’s massive,” was the first thing out of Dorian’s mouth. He didn’t openly gape at the house, but he’d obviously never seen a house built my Tal-Vashoth for their own purposes. Orera laughed and wiped some of the tears from her eyes before walking closer. 

“My parents built it before I was born. They built it to house us. My father was somewhere around seven feet? Taller than Bull, so they needed to accommodate for that.” Orera walked towards where she knew there had been a gate, though remnants of it were now lost. She paused before walking past it, and towards the actual building. The others followed after her. 

“Are all houses this big in Par Vollen, Bull?” Syrith spoke now, his voice was hoarse and Orera turned to see him immediately down water from his water-skin, only for it to be close to empty. She hadn’t actually realized how much longer they’d walked after sunset, but she knew they would need water. She took his water-skin and avoided going through the door to enter the house, instead walking around to where she knew their well had been. 

“More or less. Usually bigger. There are some big guys back there.”

“Wow.” Syrith blinked a few times, almost not believing. Orera laughed again and upon reaching the well, the bricks somewhat falling apart but still functional, pulled up the bucket she knew rested at the bottom. She poured the water into Syrith’s water-skin, filling the rest of theirs up as well before walking back to the house. 

“We can stay inside, it’ll be safer that way. We’ll be able to see him coming.” Orera walked back towards the door and after waiting another minute, thinking over exactly what she was doing, she stepped inside. 

The inside of the house was exactly as she remembered, if a big more decrepit. The ceiling sagged and the door frames into the other rooms seemed to be the only things holding the walls up, but it was the place she’d grown. The living room was the first room they walked into, a large fireplace in the back. She avoided looking at it, instead moving towards where the room she’d shared with her brother was. The room was big enough for maybe all of them, and the bed frames were still standing, if almost about to fall apart. Orera did them a favor and broke the legs off, letting the frames fall the ground, and smiled. 

“We can take the tents and make a sort of bed for you guys. It’d be comfier than sleeping on the ground again, and I’m sure the two of you will fit on one of these.” The beds were huge, they were big enough for them to grow into, though not as big as what they were used to back in Skyhold. Orera placed her things on the ground and helped Bull take the tent off his back, taking the poles and just leaning them against a wall while folding the material and pushing that towards one of the beds. They filled in the wooden frame, and though not as comfy as a real bad, it came close. Everyone gathered into the room and Dorian and Syrith made up their bed, and almost immediately fell down into it, exhausted from such a long day. 

Bull sat on the edge of his and rolled his shoulders back, the cracks in his shoulders and back audible. He closed his eyes and took a large breath, exhaling slowly through his nose. Orera sighed and closed her eyes, smiling before sitting behind him, her hands falling onto his back. Warmth flooded through her palms into his muscles, relaxing them and making him bend forward more as she pressed into the knots and rocks that seemed to always creep into his back. It didn’t take long until Orera rested her forehead on his back, mouth pressed to one of the many scars that dotted it. 

“Let’s get to bed. Those two are already out.” Orera spoke into his back, almost mumbling. He nodded and Orera moved back, lying down closer to the wall. He sat on the edge of the bed a while longer before turning to face her. He leaned down and kissed her, holding her chin to keep their lips pressed together, going no further. She melted into the embrace and smiled when he finally laid down next to her. It didn’t take long for them to fall asleep from there. 

A breeze came in through the broken window to the bedroom, stirring Orera awake. She covered her mouth as she yawned and looked to see that the rest of the group still slumbered. Bull stirred as she did and she kissed her shoulder before moving out of the bed. She stood and stretched, then moved to looking through their packs for what they were to eat for breakfast. They only had enough food for a few more days, which meant traveling to either Tantervale or Hasmal to restock. From there they could take the river back to Nevarra City, and get back to Cumberland and Skyhold. It would be a far faster trip and involve a lot less walking. This was of course after they got Anaan back from the man, whatever his name was. 

Orera pulled out some of the bread they still had and sighed. It was beginning to go stale, which definitely meant they would need to restock soon. She separated the bread for all of them, giving them equal portions, though giving some of hers to Bull, and then ate by  herself while the rest of them slept. Someone needed to keep watch, and she didn’t want to wake any of them up for them to do it. 

After finishing her small portion of breakfast, she grabbed her staff and left the room, heading outside the house. The sun began to rise over the horizon, the sky turning all hues of orange, blue, and pink to say good morning to the world. Orera walked past the fence and leaned against her staff, smiling as warmth moved over her body. Despite what she was there for, she couldn't help but be happy. They'd made it there, before the man who'd been sent to kill her daughter. All she had to do now was wait, and that wouldn't be hard, not with everything they could do around the house and the vast land around them. Especially when they'd calculated and had hoped to make it at least a week before he did. 

It didn't take long for the others to wake up. Bull was the first out of bed, stretching as he walked out of the house, moving to stand silently next to Orera, watching the horizon. It would have been a lie for Orera to tell Dorian and Syrith when they came out that she hadn't heard what they were doing inside the house, so she stayed silent about the bruises dotting just above Syrith's collarbone. Bull however, did not stay silent.

“So, were you trying to break the bed more than she already did?” Bull chuckled, leaning on the pommel of his greataxe, smirking at the two other mages. 

“No, we were just making sure it was broken as much as possible, to not be startled when we were impaled by a beam that hadn't been compromised,” Dorian spat back. Bull laughed, his entire chest belly moving as he did. Orera couldn't help but smile at the two of them, even with Bull's teasing their banter never failed to lighten her mood. Syrith on the other hand seemed more than uncomfortable with them talking about it. He stood the furthest from all of them, on the left side of Dorian, almost rounding the corner of the fence as she stood and watched nothing. 

“Syrith, if this is too much, he can stop. You know that, right?” Orera leaned back, trying to make eye contact with the elf. Syrith just blushed more and looked away from them, just nodding and staring at his feet. And then that was when Dorian walked over to him and started whispering to him in Tevene. Orera sighed; though she didn't know the exact meaning of their exchange, she knew that Syrith was definitely not okay with Bull teasing them about it. She looked over to her partner and motioned for him to cut it out. Bull shrugged and nodded, seemingly indifferent to what the topic of his humor was. 

Syrith and Dorian both walked back, standing themselves closer than before, and Orera knew something was up. She looked to the elf, who gripped his staff tight with both hands before finally speaking. 

“Under the Dalish we're pressured very much into marrying the opposite sex to produce offspring. I was rejected my vallaslin because of my ties to my family, and I was.... kicked from the clan because I wouldn't marry a girl.” And there it was. Orera bit her lip lightly before nodding. It seemed not only did Syrith's past have similarities with her own, but Dorian's as well. Maybe Erethi had sent him for more than one reason. Bull stood up straight and nodded as well.

“Didn't mean to strike a cord. Sorry for that.” Bull bowed his head and Syrith bowed his back, his ears still beet red. 

“You didn't know, it's okay... Just not around me, please.” 

“So around Dorian?” Bull chuckled a bit and Syrith smiled before replying.

“That's fine.” Dorian though didn't seem okay with his reply. Orera began laughing, watching the boys argue. 

“Vishante kaffas, you think I want to hear him?” 

“You're smart enough to make quick retorts.” Syrith laughed and then they knew it was all fine. 

“That's probably not the only thing he's quick at,” Bull muttered, laughing under his breath. Orera shook her head, smiling all the while, glad to have them all here with her. 

The rest of the day continued on much like that, with the four of them changing position, exercising as much as they could as they stood watch around the house. At one point in the afternoon Syrith and Dorian began speaking in Tevene, Dorian helping him with what he seemed to have trouble with. The elf began to get more and more exasperated as time went on, eventually standing and throwing his hands up declaring that he'd never actually been to Tevinter and that he hadn't spoken Tevene to another person in at least 20 years. Orera brought up that she hadn't spoken Qunlat in the same amount of time until she'd met Bull, then remembered the time she'd spent with Ganri, and Dorian and Syrith immediately asked about him. 

“Ganri was just... He was just a friend. He was the only Tal-Vashoth in my first mercenary group, so we got along well. I think he was glad to speak with me.” Orera felt her body begin to itch. They all sat in a group on the ground, dividing up their food for dinner, and she tried not to think too hard on 

“Where is he now? He didn't go with you when you changed bands?” Syrith seemed to actually be concerned about her friend, and she looked to the ground, a small smile gracing her face. 

“Actually, they killed him. We... got in a bit of trouble and they let me go.” The truth was much more than that, but she wasn't exactly sure if she was ready to share that yet. Maybe when she got Anaan back, maybe when it still didn't hurt to play the music box. She started eating her food, trying to not think too hard about it. 

“What, why?” The amount of distress in his voice warmed Orera's heart. To see someone actually care about a person she had known, without having any knowledge of them? That was definitely something different, and not something she'd experienced in a while. 

“It's... it's really personal. Maybe later.” She swallowed her bite and nodded, her eyes beginning to sting. She wiped at them with the back of her hand and Syrith immediately looked towards the ground, as though embarrassed that he'd crossed a line he hadn't known about. 

“Oh, okay. Thank you for telling me that much.” He began to eat as well, as though to justify his new silence though Dorian and Bull did the same, eating without speaking. 

“Thank you for listening.” 

The day went on, with less and less talking as the sun lowered in the sky. They all wanted the mysterious man whose name they didn't know to show up, so they could get this over with and go home. Orera wanted him there, she wanted her daughter, she wanted to make sure she was safe because there was no way she was being taken care of. As it was, Orera stayed outside the longest, leaning on her staff and trying to keep her eyes open in the dark to see if anyone was coming. The men had already gone back inside the house, though she couldn't exactly hear what they were doing, too much going through her head for her to focus. Then Bull came outside, and she looked over him before he came and kissed her.

Iron Bull wrapped his arms around her, leaning his forehead against hers after breaking away. He kissed her nose and smiled. 

“We're going to be okay. She'd going to be okay. But you won't be if you don't sleep.”

“Someone has to keep watch if he comes at night,” Orera mumbled. Bull silenced her, kissing her again and letting his hand drift further south. She gasped into his mouth and he smirked before replying. 

“I'll keep watch then right now, and I'll get Dorian when I need to sleep, okay? You need to rest, kadan.” Bull kissed her again add she finally gave in, melting into his arms until she was pretty sure he was the only thing keeping her up. She gathered herself again, and using her staff, she headed towards the house, leaving the large Tal-Vashoth outside by the fence. 

Upon entering the bedroom she couldn't help but smile at the way Dorian and Syrith slept together. They seemed to lose their bodies at some point, arms twisting this way and that, almost trying to get closer, at least as close as they could with their clothes still on. Orera sat down on her bed and yawned. It didn't take too much from there for her to fall asleep. 

A crack woke her in the middle of the night. She darted up from bed and looked around, questioning herself as to where she was. She was in her old house, her old house that was barely standing on it's own anymore. The bed next to her was empty, and that was what made her heart beat fly through the roof. Dorian and Syrith weren't there, they weren't asleep across the room where she'd seen them last. Orera darted out of bed and out of the house after grabbing her staff, hands beginning to sear through the leather on her grip. 

Outside the building, lights flew in the sky, arcing from Dorian and Syrith's hands. Orera froze, trying to understand what was happening. A group of people were on the top of the nearby hill, and Orera could hardly make out the outline of a cart. She could hear and see Bull running up the hill, ax in hand as he roared at them, his massive bulk plowing through the long grass. The group atop the hill had small torches, enough to see by, and Orera knew then what Dorian and Syrith were trying to do: they were trying to freeze them in place for Bull to mow down, to get them out of the way as quick as possible. Then a green light burst in front of the group, and she knew that their magic would be of no use to them this far away, not when they seemed to have a mage of their own. 

Orera ran up the hill, dropping her staff on the ground and grabbing the hilt that always hung from her belt. Her spirit blade materialized, the yellow energy pulsating with her rage as she neared the group. She didn't hesitate to slice through the first person she approached, slicing through them, blood spattering everywhere. She looked to the next person who froze at the sight of her, and in that moment Bull ran through them, cutting them down with his ax. The rest of the group began to shout and Orera listened for the person commanding them.

“We've got to get to the house!” The first voice sounded high, almost feminine. Orera searched the group, fending off the few people that dared to attack her. She didn't kill all of them, she didn't have the focus for that when she tried to listen more intently to other orders. 

“Do you think it matters now? Kill the Qunari!” It sounded further away, and Orera looked around, only to see the cart being pushed down the hill. Orera swung her blade in front of her, cutting down those who would block her path and sent a surge of electricity into those around her, effectively paralyzing them. The cart began to gain momentum, and she chased after it, seeing a bundle tied near the front. 

“Dorian! Stop it!” Orera screamed. She ran towards the cart, only to feel her feet freeze in place. Ice coated her feet, keeping her there until someone knocked her over. She grunted and felt the blade hilt fly from her hand, as well as a new blade pierce her side. The next thing she knew she was facing the sky, her hand covering her side and people being dragged off of her. 

Blood oozed in between her fingers, and she pressed harder as Bull tried to kill the men ganging up on her. It didn't take long for her to cauterize the wound with her hand, and then she was on her feet again, using her hands to fend off the other men. Dorian stood further along the hill, running towards the car that he'd stopped by freezing the wheels. The bundle she'd seen inside still sat there. As soon as she heard the crying coming from inside, she could hear nothing else. 

Fire erupted from her hands, and she seared through the men, sending flashes of fire under their feet, burning them beyond recognition once they'd already fallen. Bull cut through the rest, chopping heads off of the men who still tried to stand and fight, not letting anyone go beyond his reach before decapitating them. From the corner of her eye, Orera could see the other two fending off the men as well. Syrith was lighting the fallen men on fire, following her lead and adding to the mass of black smoke pushing into the sky. She missed something though, because not soon after she lit another head on fire she heard a scream.

“Syrith!” Orera whipped around as she heard Dorian shout the elf's name and saw as Syrith fell to the ground, daggers sticking out of his back. Orera began to run towards him, but Dorian got to him first. “No! I've got him, save Anaan!” 

She froze for barely a moment before nodding and turning back towards the other men. There were only a few left standing, and she couldn't quite believe the man they'd searched for, had raced with to get there, had brought so many reinforcements. She didn't have time to wait for their flailing by setting them on fire, so she finally reached her staff and sent waves of ice towards them, freezing their bodies in places, and as she did all extra movement stopped. 

“They're finished?” Bull breathed heavily, surrounded by bodies and heads, including a body frozen in place. He swung his greataxe and shattered the man there before replacing his weapon on his back. As he did he looked to Orera, and both of them hurried towards the cart that stood so far away now.

Crying still came from the bundle, and Orera threw her staff to the ground to jump on top of the cart, kneeling down next to the large bag. She ripped it open and cried when she saw Anaan gagged and bound. Her dark hair was matted and dirty, and bruises covered her neck and wrists. Orera picked her up from the cart and jumped from the cart. Bull winced as he knelt down next to her and helped Orera get the ropes off Anaan. Orera cut the ones around her ankles while Bull cut those around her wrists. The entire time Anaan continued to cry, tears streaking down her face and clearing away the dirt. As soon as her bounds were free Orera piked her up again, hugging her close. Bull pulled them both towards him, surrounding them with his arms as they all sat on the ground. 

“Mommy. Daddy. I was scared.” Anaan cried in between them, grasping at clothes, digging her face into Orera's neck. 

“It's okay, baby. We got you. We're gonna go home and you'll be fine.” Bull kissed the top of her head and pressed his nose into her hair, taking in a large breath. Orera smiled, seeing the tears run down not only her face but his as well. 

“He was so mean. He.. he hit me and screamed at me.” Just hearing about what happened to Anaan while she'd been taken enraged Orera. She hadn't been able to stop it. Anaan had been taken because of her. 

“That won't happen again, kadan. You're safe.” Bull kissed her head again, and they all stood as a family, Orera holding Anaan in her arms, not daring to loosen her grip. He took a step back, his hand lingering on Orera's shoulder as he looked towards the other two men. Syrith sat back on his heels while Dorian knelt behind him, hands glowing over his back. The family walked over to them and Orera handed Anaan to Bull. The little girl cried out almost immediately, and Orera kissed her forehead. 

“It's okay, imekari. I've got to help a friend.” Anaan nodded and clutched at Bull's armor, biting her lip as she watched her mother kneel down next to Syrith. 

“How is he?” Dorian's hands were covered in blood, and it was spattered over his clothes as well, but he didn't seem to notice. Syrith was keeping himself anchored with his staff, leaning against it while keeping in any noise by biting his lip. 

“The daggers went deep, but they didn't hit anything vital. His shoulders will be sore the next couple weeks though. I've almost finished healing the wounds.” Orera motioned for him to move over, two healers were better than one, and helped Dorian heal the wounds. They both helped Syrith get onto his feet, and Dorian let the elf lean on him. 

“What now?” Bull walked over closer, keeping Anaan close to him, holding her tight and keeping her from crying. 

“We get Syrith and Anaan to bed and take care of the rest of the men. We've got to get rid of them.” Orera sighed and looked towards the house. It still stood at an angle, and now it wasn't just a place to wait, it was their refuge. “Take Anaan in there and help her get to sleep. I'll be there in a bit.” 

Bull nodded and looked to Dorian, who had already started back towards the house. Syrith groaned with every step and Dorian whispered things to him Orera knew she shouldn't hear, so she ignored them. Bull leaned over and kissed Orera once before heading back towards the house, leaving her outside, smoke billowing up behind her. 

These men hurt her daughter, and she needed to make sure they were gone forever. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for posting a day later than expected. I've been trying to post a chapter every five days but I had family over this weekend and couldn't write when I wanted to ///. Anyway, this isn't the end of Orera's story yet and thank you for reading!!


	11. Chapter 11

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The root of the problem meets an end of sorts.

The fire blazed before her, sending piles and buildings worth of black smoke into the air. They wouldn’t be able to stay there long, someone from Hasmal or Tantervale would notice the plume and come looking. She doubted they would though; humans tended to care for their own and they always stayed in the towns. The bodies the flame enveloped began to darken and she could tell that they were already burned beyond recognition, the smell was enough to give that away. With that, she sent a cool breeze over the flames and the bodies, stopping the fire and freezing the remains. No one would know who they were, and she didn’t care, she needed to get back to her child. 

Orera ran back towards the house, all but throwing down her staff upon seeing Bull carrying Anaan in his arms. Dorian was still seeing to Syrith’s wounds, probably trying to heal them better now that they weren't in any danger, which meant that Anaan had been in pain the entire time she’d dealt with the men outside. 

“Mommy it hurts,” Anaan cried, tears streaming down her face as she burrowed further into her father’s arms.  Orera knelt in front of the two of them, placing her hand on her daughter’s forehead and cooling her down. 

“I know, kadan. I know. Mommy’s going to make you feel better.” She motioned for Bull to let Anaan sit on the bed in front of him. He spread his legs and placed her down in front, the small Vashoth wiping tears away with bruised hands. Orera took Anaan’s hands in hers, kissing them lightly before a glow began to encircle them, the skin returning to its natural gray. Her tears didn’t stop, but she grew quiet, watching as her mother healed her. Orera moved Anaan’s hair over her shoulder, placing her hands on her neck to heal the bruises there. Anaan cried out, pulling back and turning into Bull, trembling visibly. The amount of hate that Orera felt then for the men that had hurt her grew beyond her comprehension. She shushed Anaan down again, whispering to her that everything was alright, that she was only trying to stop the pain. 

It took at least another hour for Orera to heal all of her daughter’s bruises, and by the last of them Anaan was sleeping soundly in Bull’s arms. Orera finally smiled, seeing her daughter sleep so soundly made her heart soften. She leaned over and kissed Bull, lingering until she felt Anaan move between them. She was only moving in her sleep though, which told Orera it was time to get back to bed. Dorian and Syrith had already passed out on the other bed, the human wrapped protectively around his elf, both oblivious to everything going on around them. 

Bull moved over in the bed, closer to the wall, and placed Anaan next in between the two of them. Orera brushed the dark hair from Anaan’s face and kissed her forehead before she took Bull’s hand and squeezed it, finally feeling relief in being able to close her own eyes. 

* * *

It took months for Anaan to feel safe again in Skyhold. She couldn’t bare to be away from one of her parents for too long, and she wouldn’t go with anyone other than Cullen or Josephine since she knew them. Erethi and Syrith were new faces to her, since she’d forgotten almost everything about them in the weeks she’d been taken. She’d forgotten a lot because of that. 

Everyone took it well. The majority of Thedas didn’t find out Anaan had been taken until Orera returned to Skyhold and there were dignitaries and nobles there, waiting to speak with her. The idea that Skyhold was no longer safe definitely had put its occupants on edge, and Cullen responded with doubling shifts and closing any gaps in the guard. They would never let something like that happen again. 

Anaan eventually turned five, and Syrith and Dorian were adamant about teaching her how to read before they left off for Tevinter. It hadn’t been hard for Syrith to decide to leave with the altus. They made their relationship no secret, and Orera knew they genuinely cared for the child. It seemed that almost every person she called friend did, especially after what happened. Two months after her fifth birthday Dorian gave Orera the news: he’d been able to get everything back in Tevinter situated for his return. A home of his own waited him, and so did servants he was hiring; there house would have no slaves, Syrith made sure of that. His departure made Skyhold seem a bit gloomier, his constant sarcasm and wit gone from the library. Anaan missed him greatly, mostly because he would read the best stories to her. He did leave behind a number of novels and books in Tevene, including some on how to learn the language, Syrith having said it wouldn’t hurt for her to grow up knowing more than one. 

After the Tevinters left Skyhold, Orera received a letter from Divine Victoria, one she hadn’t expected. Anaan sat on the couch in her quarters, books strewn about everywhere as she tried to read through them, even though she was still having a hard enough time with the childrens book. Orera glanced over to her daughter again from her desk before looking back to the letter, reading the contents. Divine Victoria was writing her about the incident that had happened a year ago now, saying she would like to cordially invite the Inquisitor and her family to Val Royeaux on a vacation of sorts. Orera hadn’t left her post since traveling up to the Free Marches, and she knew she could afford to leave for a couple weeks, things wouldn’t devolve when they knew what was going on. She began to write her response and that was that. Telling the rest of the council and Bull that she was going to Val Royeaux wouldn’t be the problem, convincing Anaan that she couldn’t bring all her books with her was. 

* * *

They went by land, with a small detachment of soldiers at Cullen’s request. It took a little over two weeks to get to the capital of Orlais, but they didn’t want to tire themselves, and Orera had wanted to make sure each place they stayed the night was prepared and safe each day, slowing them down enough to have to find suitable places that fit her requirements. 

The Grand Cathedral, in all its splendor, was almost too much for Anaan. She raced in front and behind her parents, around the soldiers who tried to insist that she stay in her place. She didn’t listen of course, and Orera told them it was fine; Anaan knew she needed to stay in sight of her parents, and that was all. They approached the audience chamber, as the priests guided them, and Orera took her daughter’s hand then, telling her that they were seeing the Divine and needed to be on their best behavior. 

Inside the audience chamber the Sunburst throne stood in all its glory, shining in the afternoon sunlight. Divine Victoria sat there waiting for them, a smile on her face. Anaan hadn’t know Leliana before she became Divine, so she only knew she had been one of Orera’s advisers, and had never met her. To either side of the Divine stood a number of other clergymen, all of different races. A few Tal-Vashoth numbered among them, and she immediately spotted a former saarebas, their horns shaved down and scars around their mouth. It hurt to know how mages were treated under the Qun, but what the Chantry did now, accepting everyone, it almost made up for it. A number of dwarves stood along the lines next to the throne as well, though Orera only counted one elf. 

“Inquisitor, its my pleasure to welcome you to the Grand Cathedral.” Victoria’s voice carried throughout the hall, and she rose as she spoke, holding her arms out to her side. Orera did the same, and was surprised when Victoria walked forward to hug her. What the Divine whispered in her ear next made her freeze. “I’ll meet you in your quarters later tonight. It’s vital.” 

“Most Holy the pleasure is mine. Thank you for inviting me and my family. Its been years.” Victoria took a step back, the warm smile still on her face, giving no indication of what she’d just whispered to Orera.  

“It has. Dinner will be served soon if you’ll join me in the dining chamber.” Victoria motioned towards a door on the far left of the room. Orera could practically smell the food baking within, but her feet hurt and she couldn’t imagine how tired Anaan was despite her rambunctiousness. 

“I think I will have to decline the offer. We just made it to the capital today, and the little one is tired.” She smiled down to Anaan who promptly pouted. 

“I’m not tired!” She stomped one foot and squeezed her mother’s hand, looking back towards the Divine. 

“We could take dinner later in your chambers then. I’d love to catch up with you when you’re rested.” Victoria laughed and smiled down towards Anaan.

“That sounds wonderful. I guess I should introduce you towards the one putting our dinner off though. This is Anaan. Anaan, this is Divine Victoria. She worked with me before you were born.”

“You helped mommy?”

“I helped organize a number of different things for her, yes. It’s a pleasure to meet you Anaan.” As it was, Anaan already stood at Victoria’s abdomen, her horns already sprouting through the top of her head. There was no hiding the fact she would have four. Victoria held her hand out to Anaan, who looked at it before slowly putting out her own to shake it. 

“She did more than she’s telling, she was a great help to the Inquisition. Irreplaceable.”

“Though I did hear you found a replacement.” Victoria smirked and Orera smiled, almost laughing. 

“Yes, an old friend who I met before the conclave. Erethi Lavellan. She’s done a good job so far.”

“That is good to hear. Well, I hope you are able to relax, and we’ll tour the cathedral tomorrow.” 

“Thank you for your hospitality, Your Perfection. I look forward to dining with you later.” Orera bowed her head and Anaan and Bull did the same next to her. The Tal-Vashoth hadn’t said anything yet, and she would ask why once they reached their rooms. 

The cathedral was more maze like than she anticipated as they were guided towards the quarters they were to stay in for the next few days. The room they were given sat on the top floor of the western wing, overlooking the entire capital. Anaan went straight to the balcony and stared over the edge of the railing. Orera sighed as she watched her and then felt Bull’s hands on her waist. 

“Kadan, what did she tell you?” Iron Bull kissed her shoulder and then the top of her head before moving to stand in front of her. Orera took his hands and shrugged. 

“Just that she has something to tell me.”

“I could tell that as soon as I walked in the room. What do you think it is?”

“I don’t know, but apparently something she didn’t trust to put in a letter.” 

“I guess we’ll find out then.” Bull kissed her, pressing his mouth hard against hers; she could feel the scars over his mouth and she raised her hands to cup his face. He smiled into another kiss before pulling away and walking over towards the balcony. 

“You want to go higher, imekari?” Bull laughed as he raised Anaan into the air, placing her on his shoulders. She squealed and laughed and Orera looked on them with fondness. If only things could be that simple and beautiful all the time, then her life would be perfect. 

Dinner rolled around as the sun began to set. The family was shown to a room adjacent to theirs that held a larger table. The food was set out in front of them, and Anaan sat between her parents, squirming in her chair and wanting to eat. They waited for Divine Victoria to enter though, which took only a few minutes after their food was paled in front of them. The Divine smiled and sat across from them, waving to let the servants know they could leave. Things didn’t turn serious until they were halfway through the meal and Anaan was starting to nod off, having eaten her own food too fast. 

“Orera, I want you to know that I’ve been looking into what happened a year ago. I wanted to make sure my sources were correct and reliable before I gave you this information.”

“What information?” Orera wiped her mouth with a napkin, placing her utensils down as Victoria spoke. 

“I know who kidnapped Anaan, and who hired him.” Orera could barely breathe as she listened to Divine Victoria. She took a gulp of water and blinked a few times before responding.  

“Who?”

“It’s the same man who murdered your parents and your daughter.”

“What? How do you know this?” Sweat began to bead from her brow and she wiped it away with the back of her hand. She looked over to Anaan, who seemed oblivious to what they were talking about. 

“I was able to convince someone to tell me. You wont’ like what you hear though. It’s a Tal-Vashoth hunter. He hires specifically to hunt those he deems dangerous, and has their entire family killed. This one was hired to kill your parents once they left the Qun. They weren't dangerous enough for the Ben-Hassrath it seemed, but enough for someone else to want to get rid of them.” Divine Victoria took a sip from her wine and placed wiped her mouth with her napkin, emotions draining from her face. 

“But why? They weren’t dangerous! My father was an herbalist and my mother was a seamstress. They weren’t anyone important!” It didn’t make sense. They hadn’t been anybody. Even when they had lived in the Qun, at least from the stories her parents had told her, they hadn’t been important. They’d been workers and nothing more. 

“The Ben-Hassrath don’t just go after every Tal-Vashoth, they would never do anything else otherwise. They just go after the ones doing damage like the ones in Seheron.” Bull leaned back in his chair, hands rested on his knees. Orera bit her lip. This felt all wrong. Why would people have gone after her parents? 

“Your father was Kanan Adaar, yes? I was able to get more information on him, and when he left the Qun. His wife, Asaara, helped him escape. He was a saarebas, Orera. He was a mage.” Divine Victoria  didn’t move from then, and she kept silent, letting Orera take in the information. 

Orera remembered her father, she remembered him being kind and gentle, and she never remembered him ever using magic. She’d learned on her own to use hers, and later on by practicing with other mages, but he’d never even given a hint that he had magic. But thinking back to how his horns had been shaved down completely, it made sense. There had been no scars around his mouth, she guessed from careful healing and time. It made more sense for her and her brother to be mages with their father being one, but why would he have kept that from them? He could have taught them to use their magic, he could have lived and helped protect their family. 

“I…. I didn’t know.”

“The man who hired those to kill your family watches the borders carefully for Tal-Vashoth. I’ve been told by numerous people that he mostly hunts the runaway mages and their families, to keep Qunari mages away. Qunari are bad, and Qunari mages, in his eyes are the worst. He wasn’t able to get to you, but your family I guess is the target he won’t let go.”

“It’s been years though, why wouldn’t he just give up?”

“He most likely will now. I got more word that Anaan was the last on his list, your family was the last on his list, though I don’t know why. His dealings aren’t in the shadows anymore. His name is Valentin Mercier, and he’s a merchant that deals in cloth now. He resides just a day out of Montfort.”

“What am I supposed to-” Orera paused and took a breath. She looked down to Anaan, who now slept on the arm rest of her chair. She swallowed and looked back to Victoria. “Thank you for the information. Would I be able to request that we stay here a few extra days?”

“Of course. You’re always welcome here, Inquisitor. I must go see to my people now. I hope to speak with you later.” Divine Victoria, not even having finished her meal, rose from the table and bowed her head. Orera and Bull rose as well, and Orera bowed as deep as she could not raising until she knew the Divine was gone. She lifted Anaan from her chair and carried her back to their chambers, Bull right behind her. 

“Whaddya’ going to do, boss?”

“I’m going to Montfort. You’re going to stay here to watch Anaan. The people are going to be told that the Inquisitor caught a cold and is simply exhausted and resting a few days in the Grand Cathedral. We can’t both go to him, and he hurt my family.” Orera placed Anaan down on the huge bed, sighing as she did. The Vashoth had no clue what was taking place, and what her mother went through, and Orera never wanted her to know. Bull placed his hand on her shoulder, and turned he to face him. 

“You sure you don’t want me to go instead?”

“No. I need to do this.” There was no wavering in this decision, she felt as though if anyone else were to go things wouldn’t turn out how they were supposed to. At least how she thought they needed to. Bull eyed he for a second before nodding and stepping closer, taking her hands in his. 

“Alright. Well, if you’re going to leave tonight, wait until the religious guys start their night Chant. I won’t take my eye off her.” 

“Thank you, Bull.” Orera bit her lip and shuddered, looking to Anaan before feeling Bull’s hand on her chin, moving her head to look to him. 

“No problem, kadan.”

“I love you.” She could feel the sting in her eye, and the tear slowly rolling down her cheek. Bull smiled and kissed her, moving and wrapping his arms around her before mumbling into her mouth. 

“I love you, too.” 

* * *

It didn’t take much for Orera to get enough supplies to last her at least a week. She was able to slip into the kitchen, and after inquiring about the supplies should would be able to get for the trip back to Skyhold, was able to get enough packed in a small bag for herself. She left just before midnight, kissing her sleeping child on the head and assuring Bull that she would be fine on her own. Though that assurance was more for herself than for him, he had faith in her. 

Val Royeaux was easy to walk through with a change of clothes. She’d put on simple Chantry robes that only denoted her as sister, and kept in her bag a separate set of clothes to change in after she left the city. Her skin under her clothes was painted from shoulders to toes, not wanting to have vitaar on her face scare away anyone and have them talking about her. But as soon as she left the city limits and she could no longer see the dim light emanating from the place, she changed into her other clothes and painted her face with the poison. She would take no chances with this man. 

Montfort was about a four day walk from Val Royeaux, and since Orera hadn’t wanted to draw attention by using a horse, she walked by herself for the same length. A number of villages dotted the Imperial highway, and most of them didn’t bat an eye at her. She just a savage Qunari to them, nothing more. Though if they knew she was the Inquisitor most would bow in fear; she didn’t know if she liked that thought or not, and either way it didn’t matter. 

Orera left little time for herself to sleep. Taking only the few hours before and after midnight, walking through twilight and dawn into the next villages. It took her three and a half days in total to get to Montfort, and took her the rest of the third day to find out exactly where Valentin Mercier lived.  

A quaint house sat on a small piece of property, surrounded by hedges with a garden just inside, beautifully taken care of. When Orera had first approached it an elf had been trimming the hedges. She inquired as to whether or not this was the home of Messere Mercier, and the elf didn’t hesitate to say yes and continue on with their work. The only thing Orera had to do now was wait until nightfall, when she knew the man would be home. In the mean time, she could go and rest somewhere hidden. 

A tree supplied such a place for her, leaning against it facing inwards towards the grove. It was just outside the town, closest to the house where the man lived. She didn’t pay attention to anything else going on around her, just the people going in and out of the garden that she could see from her tree. The man himself didn’t seem to return to the house until late into the night, just after the sun had set. His hair was graying, and he wore glasses that sank to the tip of his nose. His clothes gave away that he was no commoner, but that didn’t matter. As soon the night was dark enough, and she knew the inhabitants of the house to be asleep, she went for the kitchen door. 

Getting over the hedges that surrounded the house wasn’t hard, she merely climbed one of the nearby trees and jumped over, crouching low afterward and keeping there. No guards were patrolling, this man didn’t expect to be hit at all; he probably saw himself invincible, his ploy perfect and keeping him hidden. He couldn’t be more wrong. Orera crept towards the kitchen door, lights from the window showing that the fire was dying within the fireplace, still keeping the place warm for whoever kept watch over the food. 

The door opened easily, no lock having been deployed, and she entered to find a maid sleeping on a stool, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders. Food was already set out for the next morning, something the cook was probably meant to be preparing then, but wasn’t. Orera skipped over this and entered into the dining room. Windows adorned the entire room, letting in the moonlight and casting shadows every way, leaving the dark wood floor even darker, almost as if covered in ink save a few spots right next to the windows themselves. The table was already set for six people,  though Orera felt more that was because the table was that big, not because of how many people actually ate at it. 

The first floor held only rooms meant for entertaining. A study was filled with close to empty bookshelves, dust visible on most of the books that were there. It clearly didn’t see use. A parlor seemed to hold the books the study didn’t, piled in different places and on top of couches and chairs. Orera picked one up and turned it over in her hand. It was a childrens book. She placed it back down, not thinking on it as she searched for the stairs that led to the second floor of the manor. 

The railing that led up the stairs shone in the moonlight from the windows. She kept from touching it, and she gripped the dagger she brought. Orera hadn’t wanted to bring her staff, that would give her away as a mage, it could have given her away as the Inquisitor, so she went without. It wasn’t as if she couldn’t use her magic without it, she just didn’t want magic to be connected to the murder of a random merchant. She took the dagger out of it’s hilt, and after making sure it felt comfortable in her hand, she stepped onto the second floor, looking down the hall to count the amount of doors. There were four doors. One was bound to be a bathroom, which meant three were bedrooms; who inhabited them all she didn’t know or care. 

Orera neared the closest door to the stairs and placed her hand on the doorknob, taking in a breath before turning it slowly and pushing the wooden door in. The bathroom stood before her, a large claw-footed porcelain tub sat on one side and a wash basin on the other. It was nicer than she expected, but she didn’t linger on it, instead stepping out of the room and closing the door. That was when she heard one of the other doors behind her open. She froze and closed her eyes before turning to see a child standing before her in a nightgown, a blanket hanging from her hand. 

“Daddy?” The child wiped its eyes, not yet seeing Orera before her. She took a step back, hiding the dagger behind her before the child could see it. Eventually the girl blinked and noticed that Orera was not in fact her father, confusion slowly painting her face. “Who are you?”

What was she to say? She couldn’t tell the child who she really was, and she definitely couldn’t bring herself to kill the child as well as her father. There was no possible way in which she could do that. She’d come here to kill her father and-

What Divine Victoria came back to her now. The man, Valentin, he’d stopped his operations in the last decade, her family being the last he’d gotten hired for. There had a to be a reason he stopped going after Tal-Vashoth he seemed dangerous, and Orera was certain that the reason stood right before her. He must have known that when he killed her parents, or had someone else kill her parents, that they hadn’t gotten to her. They’d left her an orphan, alone in the world. Maybe that was the reason he’d stopped. He’d had children of his own, he’d started his own family and began to see what he was doing, and how it hurt and destroyed those close to those he killed. But if that was why he stopped, then why had he taken Anaan? Anaan, who was close to the same age as his own daughter, who was the only thing she had now that could possibly harm her emotionally. How?

“I’m a friend of your fathers. I came here to see him, and I guess he’s asleep. I can’t stay long though.”

“Why not? Daddy’s just sleepin’.” The girl began to walk towards the door on the other side of Orera. She quickly knelt to be on eye level with the child, and after deftly sheathing the dagger, she placed her hand on the child’s shoulder. 

“I have to get back to my family. Could you tell him something for me, though? Tell him that the Inquisitor wishes him well, and he needn’t worry any longer.” Tears began to form in the corner of Orera’s eyes, and she smiled through them towards the little girl, who only blinked lazily at the prompting. 

“Okay. Could you tuck me back in bed?” The question, so innocent, was impossible for Orera to refuse. She nodded her head, and when the little girl took her hand and lead her into the bedroom, she couldn’t stop the tears. The girl pushed herself back under her covers, and Orera tucked her in, running her hand over her hair. 

“Goodnight. Remember to tell your father what I said.” 

“ Goodnight,” the girls’ voice was so soft Orera barely heard it. She swallowed and left the room, closing the door behind her before looking back down the hallway, towards where she now knew Valentin Mercier slept. She couldn’t bring herself to do it; she didn’t know how she’d ever thought she could do it. Orera left the house the way she came in, but stopped in the study, pulling out a pen and paper, and quickly wrote a note to Valentin. Hopefully he would see it in the morning. Then with that, she left, headed back to Val Royeaux, and to her family. 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you so much for sticking with me and reading this, it means a lot! I hope you've enjoyed the journey with Orera and Bull and Anaan, I know I have lol. Again, thank you so much for reading!!
> 
> I might put an epilogue up eventually, or add more to the series, but as of right now I don't know, so stay tuned just incase if you're still interested after this!


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